U.S.-Panama caucus launched on Capitol Hill
The U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday formed a new U.S.-Panama caucus focused on trade expansion through the Panama Canal.
The caucus was launched at a Capitol Hill reception led by Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Ill., and Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, and attended by Panamanian First Vice President and concurrent Minister of Foreign Affairs Samuel Lewis-Navarro.
Panama is moving forward with plans to double the capacity of the Panama Canal. Since last year the U.S. Trade Representative and the Panamanian government have been working on a free trade agreement. The caucus is intended to provide a forum for dialogue on both of those issues.