[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1632 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1632
To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 7, 2019
Mrs. Wagner (for herself, Mr. Castro of Texas, and Mr. Yoho) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require a strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
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 ``Southeast Asia Strategy Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Southeast Asia is the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific
region and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
a regional intergovernmental organization, remains the
centerpiece of the Indo-Pacific region's architecture.
(2) The United States has reaffirmed that the security and
sovereignty of its Southeast Asian allies and partners,
including a strong, independent ASEAN, remain vital to the
security, prosperity, and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.
(3) The United States has committed to reinvigorating its
longstanding security alliances with the Philippines and
Thailand, as well as bolstering partnerships with a range of
Southeast Asian nations.
(4) A central element of United States strategy for the
Indo-Pacific region is strengthening United States alliances
and partnerships and working with and through allies and
partners to address common challenges and to enhance shared
capabilities.
(5) ASEAN member states are critical United States security
partners in preventing violent extremism, protecting the
freedom and openness of the maritime domain, engaging in global
peacekeeping operations, and preventing the trafficking of
weapons of mass destruction.
(6) ASEAN member states are vital to the prosperity of the
United States economy and exports to ASEAN economies support
more than 500,000 jobs in the United States.
(7) The United States and ASEAN have recently celebrated
the 40th anniversary of their ties and established a new
strategic partnership that will enhance cooperation across the
economic, political-security, and people-to-people pillars of
the relationship.
SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to--
(1) cooperate more closely with the ASEAN and ASEAN member
states in the interest of promoting peace, security, and
stability in the Indo-Pacific region;
(2) establish and communicate a comprehensive and focused
strategy that articulates the role and importance of Southeast
Asia to the United States, the value of the United States-ASEAN
relationship, the mutual interests of both parties, and the
concrete and material benefits all nations derive from strong
United States engagement and leadership in Southeast Asia; and
(3) affirm the importance of ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led
mechanisms in the evolving regional architecture of the Indo-
Pacific region.
SEC. 4. STRATEGY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SOUTHEAST ASIA AND ASEAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Defense, shall develop and
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive and
focused multi-year strategy for engagement with Southeast Asia and
ASEAN.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy required by subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) An identification of enduring United States interests
in Southeast Asia and efforts to bolster the effectiveness of
ASEAN as an independent and unified regional leader.
(2) An identification of--
(A) the future of Southeast Asian alliances,
partnerships, and multilateral engagements, including
efforts to expand security interoperability and
economic connectivity, and build networks of allies and
partners with other United States partners in the Indo-
Pacific region; and
(B) partners outside ASEAN that support United
States interests in Southeast Asia, such as an ASEAN-
centered and rules-based order, including multilateral
efforts to coordinate engagement with ASEAN.
(3) A list of ongoing and planned initiatives and programs
to strengthen the United States partnership with Southeast
Asian countries and ASEAN through trade, investment, energy,
and economic and political diplomacy in Southeast Asia and
through development and capacity building, including efforts to
improve the environment for private sector-led economic
development, public-private partnerships, infrastructure
development, development of the digital economy and technology,
and other initiatives relating to education, disaster
management, and public health.
(4) An assessment of ongoing and planned initiatives to
directly assist Southeast Asian countries and ASEAN in
developing institutional capabilities, including with respect
to enforcing international law and sanctions, and initiatives
to cooperate with ASEAN as an institution in these areas.
(5) An assessment of ongoing and planned efforts to promote
and engage with Southeast Asian countries on human rights and
democracy, to strengthen the rule of law, civil society, and
transparent governance, and to protect the integrity of
elections and personal data from cyber threats.
(6) An assessment of ongoing and planned security
cooperation, assistance, and training initiatives within
Southeast Asian countries, including--
(A) maritime security and political initiatives for
protecting the maritime commons and supporting
international law and freedom of navigation in the
South China Sea; and
(B) efforts to combat terrorism, human trafficking,
piracy, and illegal fishing, and promote more open,
reliable routes for trade.
(7) An assessment of ongoing and planned funding for
relevant United States Government departments and agencies on
the implementation of initiatives highlighted in the strategy
and an identification of additional strategic, management,
procedural, legal, personnel, and funding resources needed to
fully implement the strategy.
(c) Updates to Strategy.--The Secretary of State, in consultation
with the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Defense, shall
submit to the appropriate congressional committees an updated strategy
under subsection (a) for each of the four years following the year in
which the initial strategy is submitted under subsection (a).
(d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Armed Services of the Senate.
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