Van Hollen Joins Bass in Asking for Ethiopia to Stay in AGOA
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., added his voice to Rep. Karen Bass's request that the Biden administration not let Ethiopia be kicked out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act as a beneficiary country on Jan. 1. He and Bass, D-Calif., wrote, “While we absolutely condemn the human rights abuses that have taken place on both sides of this conflict, we are concerned that suspension of AGOA benefits will be counterproductive and disproportionately harm the most vulnerable Ethiopians without contributing to the cessation of hostilities.”
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Van Hollen is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. They said they hope a ceasefire can be achieved in the Tigray uprising. “We urge your administration to explore options for allowing additional time for Ethiopia to come into compliance with AGOA as we continue pressing all sides to come to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”