WASHINGTON—Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“I congratulate Andrés Manuel López Obrador on his election as the next president of Mexico and look forward to working with him in the coming years.

“The U.S. – Mexico relationship has an enormous impact on the daily lives of citizens in both of our countries. From the economy to security and migration, the success of both of our nations depends on our continued cooperation at all levels – federal, state and local.

“As a longtime advocate for a strong U.S. – Mexico partnership, I have watched as our bilateral ties grew stronger during the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama and as they have been singlehandedly torn apart by President Trump. We can and must be better than this, and I hope the Trump Administration will view the change in government in Mexico as an opportunity to turn the page on its misguided approach to our neighbor to the south.

“Finally, I recognize the challenges presented by corruption in Mexico and President-elect López Obrador’s determination to address this issue. Our Congress stands ready to support Mexico’s next government in efforts to combat corruption and strengthen the rule of law.”

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