H.Res. 625

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 625 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 625

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of 
Cabo Verde and celebrating the contributions of Cabo Verdean-Americans 
to democracy in Cabo Verde and the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 1, 2025

Mr. Jeffries (for himself, Ms. DeLauro, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Meeks, Ms. 
Clarke of New York, Mr. Keating, Mr. Horsford, Ms. Pressley, Ms. 
Jacobs, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. 
Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Magaziner, and Mr. Amo) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of 
Cabo Verde and celebrating the contributions of Cabo Verdean-Americans 
to democracy in Cabo Verde and the United States.

Whereas the Portuguese arrived in Cabo Verde in 1456 and settled in Cidade Velha 
on the Island of Santiago in 1462, and Cabo Verde became an epicenter of 
the early transatlantic slave trade;
Whereas Kriolu Kabuverdianu, the maternal language of Cabo Verde, a mix of 
Portuguese and various African languages, became the world's first 
European and African creole language and is the oldest living and widely 
spoken creole language;
Whereas British influence significantly shaped the archipelago's economic 
development and cultural landscape, particularly through the 
establishment of trade routes and maritime commerce facilitated by 
British traders and merchants;
Whereas the spirit of Cabo Verdeans' resistance to the colonial rule of Portugal 
was embodied by the Badiu community and culture on the Island of 
Santiago, which was made up of escaped formerly enslaved Africans who 
lived removed from the Portuguese colonial administration;
Whereas the United States and the archipelago of Cabo Verde share strong 
historical links dating to the whaling trade in the 18th century;
Whereas the emigration of Cabo Verdeans to the United States began in the 18th 
century and continues today, with a significant number of communities 
concentrated in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York;
Whereas, in 1818, the first consulate of the United States in sub-Saharan Africa 
opened in what is now the Republic of Cabo Verde;
Whereas, in the 19th century, the archipelago of Cabo Verde was the base of the 
Africa Squadron of the United States Navy, which worked to suppress the 
transatlantic slave trade across West Africa to the Americas and beyond;
Whereas the archipelago of Cabo Verde has long been a refuge for communities 
seeking a better life, as exemplified by the migration to the Cabo Verde 
islands of Sephardic Jewish refugees during and after the Inquisition 
and Moroccan and Gibraltarian immigration during the 19th century, an 
integral part of Cabo Verde's national heritage;
Whereas the State Ship of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the schooner 
Ernestina-Morrissey, originally launched in 1894 as the Effie M. 
Morrissey, was the last sailing vessel to bring immigrants to the United 
States from the archipelago of Cabo Verde and was designated as a 
National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior in 1990;
Whereas, between 1800 and 1921, more than 70 percent of all Cabo Verdean-
immigrants to the United States arrived via the Port of New Bedford, 
Massachusetts;
Whereas the labor of Cabo Verdeans became integral to the commercial cultivation 
of cranberries in the United States in the 19th century, as the whaling 
industry declined, and remains so today;
Whereas, with the decline of the whaling industry, Cabo Verdean-American 
mariners developed a strong packet trade between the archipelago of Cabo 
Verde and New England, bringing goods and thousands of immigrants with 
them;
Whereas, on January 20, 1973, Amilcar Cabral, the founder and leader of the 
African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cabo Verde, was 
assassinated;
Whereas, on July 5, 1975, the archipelago of Cabo Verde gained independence from 
Portugal and was officially recognized by the United States;
Whereas, on July 19, 1975, the United States established diplomatic relations 
with the Republic of Cabo Verde;
Whereas the first multiparty elections were held in 1991, ending the previous 
one-party rule in the Republic of Cabo Verde since independence;
Whereas Kriolu Kabuverdianu can still be heard today in various towns and cities 
across New England and New York;
Whereas the Republic of Cabo Verde has several sister city and town 
relationships with counterparts in the United States, such as pairings 
of Praia with Boston, Massachusetts, and with Providence, Rhode Island, 
Mosteiros with Brockton, Massachusetts, and Mindelo with New Bedford, 
Massachusetts;
Whereas Cabo Verdean-Americans continue to contribute to the social fabric of 
the United States, particularly in New England, and are active in 
politics, entertainment, sports, academia, and others;
Whereas many Cabo Verdean-Americans were involved in the civil rights movement 
in the United States and in Cabo Verde's struggle for independence 
during the 20th century;
Whereas more than 150 Peace Corps volunteers served in the Republic of Cabo 
Verde from 1988 to 2013, and, in 2019, the Government of the Republic of 
Cabo Verde formally invited the Peace Corps to return;
Whereas Jose Maria Pereira Neves, the former Prime Minister and current 
President of the Republic of Cabo Verde, met with United States 
President Barack Obama at the White House in 2013 to discuss and 
strengthen bilateral relations, emphasizing mutual interests in economic 
development, democracy, and regional security;
Whereas the Pedro Pires Institute for Cape Verdean Studies at Bridgewater State 
University, in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, is the only academic research 
institute in the world solely dedicated to the archipelago of Cabo Verde 
and Cabo Verdeans and serves as a bridge between Massachusetts, the 
archipelago of Cabo Verde, and the Cabo Verdean diaspora;
Whereas the Republic of Cabo Verde upholds the principles of freedom and 
democracy;
Whereas, in 2021, New Hampshire and the Republic of Cabo Verde established a 
relationship under the State Partnership Program, administered by the 
National Guard Bureau, which deepens United States-Cabo Verde relations 
and supports joint learning and exercise exchanges between United States 
and Cabo Verdean military personnel;
Whereas, in 2019, the traditional Cabo Verdean musical genre Morna, popularized 
by the world-renowned late singer and ``Barefoot Diva'', Cesaria Evora, 
was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural 
Heritage of Humanity of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and 
Cultural Organization;
Whereas, in June 2022, according to the World Food Program of the United 
Nations, almost 10 percent of the Republic of Cabo Verde's population 
faced acute food insecurity as a result of drought, the COVID-19 
pandemic, and disruptions in global food and energy markets caused by 
the Russian Federation's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas, in December 2023, the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation selected the Republic of Cabo Verde as eligible to develop a 
regional compact for the purpose of regional economic integration;
Whereas the selection was made in recognition of the Republic of Cabo Verde's 
clear commitment to democratic governance, high marks on the country's 
Millennium Challenge Corporation scorecard, successful prior 
partnerships with the Millennium Challenge Corporation, lingering 
development and poverty reduction needs, and the potential opportunities 
to strengthen regional economic integration;
Whereas the Republic of Cabo Verde's initial $110,000,000 compact with the 
Millennium Challenge Corporation, initiated in 2005 and closed in 2010, 
supported the construction of several new roads and bridges and helped 
expand and modernize the Port of Praia, which boosted its 
competitiveness by decreasing cargo processing times and shipping costs;
Whereas the Republic of Cabo Verde's subsequent $66,000,000 compact with the 
Millennium Challenge Corporation, initiated in 2012 and closed in 2017, 
improved access to clean water and sanitation, strengthened land rights, 
and facilitated ambitious policy and institutional reforms to improve 
the country's overall investment climate;
Whereas, in December 2023, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cabo Verde, 
Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva, met with the President of Ukraine, 
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to emphasize Cabo Verde's support for the 
territorial integrity of Ukraine dating back to the illegal annexation 
of Crimea by Russia in 2014;
Whereas, on January 12, 2024, the World Health Organization officially declared 
Cabo Verde malaria-free for the first time in 50 years, a momentous 
public health achievement that sets a positive foundation for continued 
U.S.-supported health initiatives;
Whereas, on January 22, 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to the 
Republic of Cabo Verde to highlight how the United States has 
accelerated the United States-Africa partnership since the United 
States-Africa Leaders Summit held in December 2022;
Whereas members of the Cabo Verdean-American community have served in United 
States conflicts, from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and 
Afghanistan;
Whereas, in March 2024, the New Hampshire National Guard and the Cabo Verdean 
Armed Forces held the GRANITE FALCO Combined Exercise, the first major 
United States-Cabo Verde combined exercise under the bilateral State 
Partnership Program;
Whereas, in June 2024, Prime Minister Jose Ulisses Correia e Silva attended 
Ukraine's Peace Summit in Switzerland and met with President Zelenskyy 
and the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Patricia Amherd;
Whereas, in October 2024, the U.S. Department of State's Global Partnerships led 
a ``Blue-Green Futures'' delegation to Cabo Verde to explore 
opportunities in sustainable marine research and climate-smart 
entrepreneurship, deepening ties in environmental cooperation and 
economic development;
Whereas the Republic of Cabo Verde has a close relationship with the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization to address common challenges, such as small 
arms proliferation, maritime security, and terrorism;
Whereas the Republic of Cabo Verde remains an integral member of the Economic 
Community of West African States, the African Union, the Community of 
Portuguese Language Countries, and numerous other international 
organizations; and
Whereas July 5, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the independence of the 
Republic of Cabo Verde, a moment to reflect on the country's democratic 
achievements, cultural vibrancy, and enduring resilience of its people: 
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) extends sincere congratulations and best wishes to the 
people of the Republic of Cabo Verde as they celebrate the 50th 
anniversary of the independence of the archipelago of Cabo 
Verde;
(2) expresses support for the principles of freedom, 
democracy, and good governance, to which the people and 
Government of the Republic of Cabo Verde are committed;
(3) commends the Cabo Verdean-American community for its 
contributions to the United States and service as a bridge 
between the two countries, both before and following 
independence, based on shared bilateral history, diasporic 
ties, and common values;
(4) notes the important role that the Republic of Cabo 
Verde has played in African and broader transatlantic affairs 
since gaining independence on July 5, 1975; and
(5) commends the Republic of Cabo Verde's support for the 
sovereignty, territorial integrity, and people of Ukraine, and 
its condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
<all>