[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S199-S200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  INDO-PACIFIC COOPERATION ACT OF 2019

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 363, S. 
2547.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2547) to state the policy of the United States 
     with respect to the expansion of cooperation with allies and 
     partners in the Indo-Pacific region and Europe regarding the 
     People's Republic of China.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign Relations with an 
amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu 
thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Indo-Pacific Cooperation Act 
     of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Congress supports the finding on the People's Republic 
     of China articulated in the 2018 National Defense Strategy 
     and the 2017 National Security Strategy.
       (2) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-409) established the policy of the United States ``to 
     develop and commit to a long-term strategic vision and a 
     comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States 
     policy for the Indo-Pacific region'' so as to advance United 
     States national security, economic, human rights, and other 
     regional interests, and for such purposes, Congress has 
     authorized appropriate funding.
       (3) The People's Republic of China is leveraging military 
     modernization, influence operations, and predatory economics 
     to coerce neighboring countries to reorder the Indo-Pacific 
     region to the advantage of the People's Republic of China.
       (4) As the People's Republic of China continues its 
     economic and military ascendance, asserting power through a 
     whole of government long-term strategy, the People's Republic 
     of China will continue to pursue a military modernization 
     program that seeks Indo-Pacific regional hegemony in the 
     near-term and displacement of the United States to achieve 
     global preeminence in the future.
       (5) The most far-reaching objective of the defense strategy 
     of the United States is to set the military relationship 
     between the United States and the People's Republic of China 
     on a path toward transparency and nonaggression.
       (6) The People's Republic of China uses economic 
     inducements and penalties, influence operations, and implied 
     military threats to persuade other countries to heed the 
     political and security agenda of the People's Republic of 
     China.
       (7) United States allies and partners are critical to 
     effective competition with the People's Republic of China.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States--
       (1) to expand military, diplomatic, and economic alliances 
     and partnerships in the Indo-

[[Page S200]]

     Pacific region and with Europe and like-minded countries 
     around the globe that are critical to effective competition 
     with the People's Republic of China;
       (2) to develop, in collaboration with such allies and 
     partners, a unified approach to addressing and deterring 
     significant diplomatic, economic, and military challenges 
     posed by the People's Republic of China; and
       (3) to promote, in partnership with like-minded countries 
     around the globe, the values of democracy and human rights.

  Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the Romney amendment at 
the desk be considered and agreed to; that the committee-reported 
substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed to; that the bill, as 
amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1282) was agreed to as follows:

 (Purpose: To modify a finding relating to the defense strategy of the 
                             United States)

       In section 2, strike paragraph (5) and insert the 
     following:
       (5) A critical objective of the defense strategy of the 
     United States is to set the military of the People's Republic 
     of China on a path toward transparency and nonaggression.

  The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, as 
amended, was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 2547), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 2547

       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 Cooperation Act 
     of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Congress supports the finding on the People's Republic 
     of China articulated in the 2018 National Defense Strategy 
     and the 2017 National Security Strategy.
       (2) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-409) established the policy of the United States ``to 
     develop and commit to a long-term strategic vision and a 
     comprehensive, multifaceted, and principled United States 
     policy for the Indo-Pacific region'' so as to advance United 
     States national security, economic, human rights, and other 
     regional interests, and for such purposes, Congress has 
     authorized appropriate funding.
       (3) The People's Republic of China is leveraging military 
     modernization, influence operations, and predatory economics 
     to coerce neighboring countries to reorder the Indo-Pacific 
     region to the advantage of the People's Republic of China.
       (4) As the People's Republic of China continues its 
     economic and military ascendance, asserting power through a 
     whole of government long-term strategy, the People's Republic 
     of China will continue to pursue a military modernization 
     program that seeks Indo-Pacific regional hegemony in the 
     near-term and displacement of the United States to achieve 
     global preeminence in the future.
       (5) A critical objective of the defense strategy of the 
     United States is to set the military of the People's Republic 
     of China on a path toward transparency and nonaggression.
       (6) The People's Republic of China uses economic 
     inducements and penalties, influence operations, and implied 
     military threats to persuade other countries to heed the 
     political and security agenda of the People's Republic of 
     China.
       (7) United States allies and partners are critical to 
     effective competition with the People's Republic of China.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States--
       (1) to expand military, diplomatic, and economic alliances 
     and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and with Europe 
     and like-minded countries around the globe that are critical 
     to effective competition with the People's Republic of China;
       (2) to develop, in collaboration with such allies and 
     partners, a unified approach to addressing and deterring 
     significant diplomatic, economic, and military challenges 
     posed by the People's Republic of China; and
       (3) to promote, in partnership with like-minded countries 
     around the globe, the values of democracy and human rights.

                          ____________________