A Day on Capitol Hill with Young African Leaders, Power Africa, and the Library of Congress

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Africa Policy Breakfast Series, Cote d'Ivoire, Ex-Im Bank, General Electric, Ghana, Heirs Holdings, IVLP, Karen Bass, Liberia Newspapers, Mimi Alemayehou, OPIC, Power Africa, Power Africa focus countries selection criteria, Rwanda, Shaka Ssali, Symbion Power, Togo, Tony Elumelu, YALI

The room was dominated by portraits of old white men, including one holding a poodle.

Yesterday feelings of patriotism stirred in my bosom as I attended the Africa Policy Breakfast Series sponsored by Rep. Karen Bass (D – CA), a two panel Senate hearing on Power Africa, and I then passed a few hours reading Liberian newspapers at the Library of Congress before venturing over to New America and Arizona State.  It still strikes me as pretty cool that I can rub shoulders with prominent dignitaries and attend congressional hearings in person.

Congress Embraces ‘Africa Rising’ Over an Early Breakfast

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Africa Policy Breakfast Series, Benjamin Todd, Congress Africa, Department of Commerce, Doing Business in Africa, Elizabeth Littlefield, Ex-Im Bank, Karen Bass, Leocadia Zak, Library of Congress Africa, Michael Masserman, OPIC, OPIC Africa, US Africa trade, US investment in Africa, USTDA

This morning, I rolled out of bed to arrive only a few minutes late to the 8 AM Africa Policy Breakfast Series panel convened by Congresswoman Karen Bass (D – CA) on “U.S. Competitiveness in Africa – Leveling the Playing Field.”  I heard Bass say that she planned to start hosting these sorts of events at an earlier event I covered, so it was good to be in attendance and see the session in action.  I continued the morning by strolling over to the Senate offices to attend a Congressional hearing on Zimbabwe and will cover that session in a 2 part post Wednesday and Thursday.

The event convened several prominent financial figures