Washington, DC —The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition released this statement from Executive Director Liz Schrayer following the passage of the Electrify Africa Act of 2014 (H.R. 2548):

“The USGLC applauds Representatives Ed Royce (R-CA) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) for their bipartisan leadership in the House passage of the Electrify Africa Act.

“While many in America may take reliable electricity for granted, 70 percent of people in Sub-Saharan Africa have no access at all. By tapping the know-how of U.S. development agencies and working in partnership with American businesses, the Electrify Africa Act will spark change in the lives of millions of Africans and provide a powerful return on investment for U.S. interests on the continent.

“We are particularly pleased to see the bill’s emphasis on transparency, good governance, and public-private partnerships, as well as the vital role the Overseas Private Investment Corporation plays in making U.S. development efforts even more effective and efficient.”

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic and community leaders in all 50 states who support a smart power approach of elevating development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.

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