WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today applauded the House passage of the Electrify Africa Act of 2015 (S.2152).  This bill, which passed in the Senate last December, seeks to reduce energy poverty across sub-Saharan Africa.

“Across sub-Saharan Africa, more than 600 million people do not have reliable access to electricity.  Across this region, communities live with uncertainty about whether there will be power to refrigerate food, preserve vaccines, use medical equipment, access the Internet, or operate machinery.  Without reliable electricity, countries cannot prosper or compete on the global stage.  This legislation builds on the Obama Administration’s Power Africa Initiative by encouraging new partnerships, spurring investment, and focusing assistance on power projects in sub-Saharan Africa.  It calls for a new long-term strategy for dealing with this challenge.  And it dials up pressure on international organizations to make this effort a priority.  I’m pleased that this bipartisan legislation is on its way to the President’s desk so that we can do more to help countries across sub-Saharan Africa speed their prosperity and unleash their potential.”

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