Washington, D.C. - Ways and Means Committee Chairman Emeritus Charlie Rangel and Trade Committee Ranking Member Jim McDermott made the following statements regarding the Senate Finance Committee’s passage of legislation that would extend critical expiring provisions of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and add the world’s newest country, South Sudan, as a beneficiary:

“Today’s action in the Senate Finance Committee was an important step.  But there needs to be quick passage on the floor of both Houses before we can rest,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Emeritus Charlie Rangel (D-NY). “Thousands of workers in Africa who depend on the extension of the third-country fabric provision are losing their livelihoods with every day that goes by with uncertainty about whether the extension legislation will become law.  I call on my colleagues in both Houses to get this done without delay.”

“I’m glad that the Senate Finance Committee has taken this next step,” said Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Jim McDermott (D-WA). “We’re within a stone’s throw of expiration and it’s all because of inexcusable Congressional foot-dragging. Thousands have lost their jobs because of this delay and it has hurt businesses. We may never be able to undo that harm, but we can prevent further job losses and lost business by taking immediate action to pass this legislation now.”