1、1ATLANTIC COUNCILJune 2025US interests can benefit from stronger congressional ties with the CaribbeanIntroductionThe Caribbean is crucial to US security and economic interests,but inconsistent en-gagement has weakened the relationship.Stronger,sustained US congressional ac-tion can build a long-ter
2、m partnership that protects US influence in the region and sup-ports Caribbean economic development.US-Caribbean congressional ties todayWhat has US congressional engagement in the Caribbean looked like to date?The Caribbean benefits from the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative(CBSI),which allo-cate
3、s annual financial assistance to help address regional security concerns,along with several high-profile congressional de-legations(CODELs)in recent years.While this has ensured that some form of legis-lative action assisting Caribbean countries exist,there is more to be done.The finan-cial resource
4、s of the CBSI,which was first announced in 2009 and can be renewed every five yearspending congressional approvalare minimal relative to the scale of Caribbean security challenges.Figure 1 shows that annual CBSI funding to the Caribbean has ranged from$61 million to$88 million over a fourteen-year p