Indo-Pacific Engagement Act
This bill requires the Department of State to, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development, report annually to Congress an assessment of the resources and activities needed to achieve certain U.S. objectives in the Indo-Pacific region, such as enhancing diplomatic and economic relations with regional allies and partners and countering any malign influence of China's government.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8153 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8153
To support diplomatic and development resourcing to the Indo-Pacific,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 21, 2022
Mr. Bera (for himself and Mr. Chabot) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support diplomatic and development resourcing to the Indo-Pacific,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Indo-Pacific Engagement Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The Indo-Pacific region is home to some 60 percent of
the world's population.
(2) The Indo-Pacific region contains some of the most
dynamic and rapidly growing economies in the world.
(3) A free and open Indo-Pacific is essential to American
security and prosperity in the 21st century.
(4) The United States has made significant commitments of
diplomatic and foreign assistance resources to the region over
the past century, which have supported shared growth and
prosperity.
(5) A sustained and enhanced commitment is required to
advance American interests in the 21st century.
(6) Historically, independent cost assessments have served
as effective tools to enhance public debate over resource
allocation and have helped Congress make more informed
decisions.
(7) The importance and urgency of enhancing U.S. engagement
in the Indo-Pacific is such that similar tools are required to
ensure a proper level of engagement with the region.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
(a) In General.--At the same time as the submission of the budget
of the President (submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of
title 31, United States Code) for each of fiscal years 2024 through
2028, the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and
Pacific Affairs, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary of State
for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and Assistant
Administrator for the Bureau for Asia of the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), shall submit to the congressional
foreign affairs committees a report assessing the resources and
activities required to achieve the policy objectives described in
subsection (c).
(b) Criteria.--The report required in subsection (a) shall be
developed in accordance with the following criteria:
(1) It shall reflect the objective, autonomous, and
independent assessment of the activities, resources, and costs
required to achieve objectives detailed in subsection (c) by
the principals, the subordinate and parallel offices providing
input into the assessment, and ultimately by the Assistant
Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs as the
final decision-making authority on the contents of the final
report.
(2) It shall cover a period of five fiscal years, beginning
with the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the
report is submitted.
(3) It shall incorporate input from U.S. Ambassadors in the
Indo-Pacific region provided explicitly for the required
report.
(4) It may include information gathered through
consultation with program offices and subject matter experts in
relevant functional bureaus, as deemed necessary by the
principals.
(5) It shall not be subject to fiscal guidance or global
strategic tradeoffs associated with the annual President's
budget request.
(c) Policy Objectives.--The report required in subsection (a) shall
assess the activities and resources required to achieve the following
policy objectives:
(1) Implement the Interim National Security Strategic
Guidance, or the most recent National Security Strategy, with
respect to the Indo-Pacific region.
(2) Implement the 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, or successor
documents, that set forth the U.S. Government strategy toward
the Indo-Pacific region.
(3) Implement the State-USAID Joint Strategic Plan with
respect to the Indo-Pacific region.
(4) Enhance meaningful diplomatic and economic relations
with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific and demonstrate an
enduring U.S. commitment to the region.
(5) Secure and advance U.S. national interests in the Indo-
Pacific, including through countering the malign influence of
the Government of the People's Republic of China.
(d) Matters To Be Included.--The report required under subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) A description of the Bureaus' bilateral and
multilateral goals for the period covered in the report that
the principals deem necessary to accomplish the objectives
outlined in subsection (c), disaggregated by country and forum.
(2) A timeline with annual benchmarks for achieving the
objectives described in subsection (c).
(3) An assessment of the sufficiency of U.S. diplomatic
personnel and facilities currently available in the Indo-
Pacific region to achieve the objectives outlined in subsection
(c), through consultation with U.S. embassies in the region.
The assessment shall include:
(A) A list, in priority order, of locations in the
Indo-Pacific region that require additional diplomatic
personnel or facilities.
(B) A description of locations where the United
States may be able to collocate diplomatic personnel at
allied or partner embassies and consulates.
(C) A discussion of embassies or consulates where
diplomatic staff could be reduced within the Indo-
Pacific region, where appropriate.
(D) A detailed description of the fiscal and
personnel resources required to fill gaps identified.
(4) A detailed plan to expand U.S. diplomatic engagement
and foreign assistance presence in the Pacific Island nations
within the next five years, including a description of ``quick
impact'' programs that can be developed and implemented within
the first fiscal year of the period covered in the report.
(5) A discussion of the resources needed to enhance U.S.
strategic messaging and spotlight coercive PRC behavior.
(6) A detailed description of the resources and policy
tools needed to expand the United States ability to offer high-
quality infrastructure projects in strategically significant
parts of the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on
expanding investments in Southeast Asia and the Pacific
Islands.
(7) A gap assessment of security assistance by country, and
of the resources needed to fill those gaps.
(8) A description of the resources and policy tools needed
to facilitate continued private sector investment in partner
countries in the Indo-Pacific.
(9) A discussion of any additional bilateral or regional
assistance resources needed to achieve the objectives outlined
in subsection (c), as deemed necessary by the principals.
(e) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be
submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
(f) Availability.--Not later than February 1 each year, the
Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs shall make the
report available to the Secretary of State, the Administrator of the
USAID, the Deputy Secretary of State, the Deputy Secretary of State for
Management and Resources, the Deputy Administrator for Policy and
Programming, the Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources, the
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the Director of the
Office of Foreign Assistance at the Department of State, the Director
of the Bureau of Foreign Assistance at the USAID, and the Director of
Policy Planning.
(g) Definitions.--In this Act:
(1) Indo-pacific region.--The term ``Indo-Pacific region''
means the countries under the jurisdiction of the Bureau for
East Asian and Pacific Affairs, as well as the countries of
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
(2) Foreign affairs committees.--The term ``foreign affairs
committees'' means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives; the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate; the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations,
Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives; and the Subcommittee on State,
Foreign Operations, and Related Programs of the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate.
(3) Principals.--The term ``principals'' means the
Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and
Pacific Affairs, the Assistant Secretary of State for the
Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, and the Assistant
Administrator for the Bureau for Asia of the United States
Agency for International Development.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
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