Kaine, Curtis, And Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address Crimes in Brazilian Amazon and Strengthen Regional Stability

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Curtis (R-UT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), senior members of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, introduced the Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Brazilian Amazon Act. The bipartisan legislation addresses crimes committed by transnational criminal organizations and drug trafficking groups, which are devastating communities in and around the Brazilian Amazon, upending the rule of law, and accelerating environmental degradation and deforestation. Violent deaths in the Brazilian Amazon are significantly higher than in other parts of the country. The bill would provide the U.S. government with more tools to support U.S.-Brazil efforts to address these crimes and prioritize identifying investment opportunities for U.S. companies in the Brazilian Amazon.

“Addressing cartel violence and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is important to protecting our national security, promoting stability in the Western Hemisphere, and preserving the environment,” said Kaine, Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “I’m proud to join with Senators Curtis and Merkley to introduce this bipartisan legislation to expand the United States’ role in cracking down on violence, forced displacement, and environmental degradation in the Amazon.”

“Criminal networks thrive where the rule of law is weak—and when they do, both people and the planet suffer,” said Curtis, Chair of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. “This bill helps us partner with Brazil to crack down on lawlessness in the Amazon and support a model of conservation that is also rooted in economic opportunity.“

“The Amazon provides sanctuary for countless wildlife, and the trees of this tropical forest support not only Brazil’s environment, but also the lungs of the planet,” said Merkley, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.?“As the impacts of climate chaos become deadlier and more frequent—threatening our health, planet, and future—the U.S. must support Brazil's efforts to stand against the criminal and often violent efforts driving deforestation and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon.”

Specifically, the bipartisan Strengthening the Rule of Law in the Brazilian Amazon would:

• Direct the U.S. Secretary of State, in coordination with other U.S. federal agencies, to prioritize supporting Brazil’s efforts to identify and disrupt transnational criminal networks committing environmental crimes.
• Direct support to local communities and vulnerable areas in the Brazilian Amazon.
• Recommend the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) place an individual in Brazil responsible for identifying sustainable economic opportunities for U.S. businesses in the Brazilian Amazon.
• Require the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress regarding drivers of deforestation and environmental degradation in the Brazilian Amazon.
• Advise the United States to encourage international financial institutions to prioritize promoting sustainable development in the Amazon and oppose loans or programs that would exacerbate environmental crimes in the region.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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