[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7981-S7982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4476. Mr. ROMNEY (for himself and Mr. Menendez) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. 
Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

        At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. ____. UNITED STATES GRAND STRATEGY WITH RESPECT TO 
                   CHINA.

       (a) Findings; Sense of Congress.--
       (1) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (A) The United States is in a new era of geostrategic and 
     geoeconomic competition with the People's Republic of China, 
     a great power that seeks to challenge international norms, 
     laws and institutions, and confront the United States across 
     diplomatic, economic, military, technological, and 
     informational domains.
       (B) As it has during previous periods of great power 
     competition, the United States must articulate and refine its 
     grand strategy, including through rigorous testing of 
     assumptions and by drawing on expertise outside the United 
     States Government, to ensure its ultimate success, as well as 
     global peace, stability, and shared prosperity.
       (C) Historically, presidents of the United States have used 
     different models for grand strategy development, including 
     the following efforts:
       (i) In January 1950, President Truman requested an in-depth 
     report on the state of the world, actions taken by 
     adversaries of the United States, and the development of a 
     comprehensive national strategy, resulting in a paper 
     entitled ``United States Objectives and Programs for National 
     Security'', also known as NSC-68.
       (ii) President Eisenhower utilized experts from both within 
     and outside the United States Government during Project 
     Solarium to produce NSC 162/2, a ``Statement of Policy by the 
     National Security Council on Basic National Security Policy'' 
     in order to ``meet the Soviet Threat to U.S. security'' and 
     guide United States national security policy.
       (iii) President Ford authorized the Team B project to draw 
     in experts from outside the United States Government to 
     question and strengthen the analysis of the Central 
     Intelligence Agency.
       (iv) President Reagan approved the National Security 
     Decision Directive Number 75 in January 1983 to organize 
     United States strategy toward the Soviet Union in order to 
     clarify and orient United States policies toward specific 
     objectives vis a vis the Soviet Union.
       (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States should draw upon previous successful models 
     of grand strategy to articulate a strategy that appropriately 
     addresses the evolving challenges and contours of the new era 
     of geostrategic and geoeconomic competition with the People's 
     Republic of China.
       (b) United States Grand Strategy With Respect to China.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date on 
     which the President first submits to Congress a national 
     security strategy under section 108 of the National Security 
     Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043) after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, the President shall commence developing a 
     comprehensive report that articulates the strategy of the 
     United States with respect to the People's Republic of China 
     (in this section referred to as the ``China Strategy'') that 
     builds on the work of such national security strategy.
       (2) Submittal.--Not later than 270 days after the date on 
     which the President first submits to Congress a national 
     security strategy under section 108 of the National Security 
     Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043) after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress the China 
     Strategy developed under paragraph (1).
       (3) Form.--The China Strategy shall be submitted in 
     classified form and shall include an unclassified summary.
       (c) Contents.--The China Strategy developed under 
     subsection (b) shall set forth the national security strategy 
     of the United States with respect to the People's Republic of 
     China and shall include a comprehensive description and 
     discussion of the following:
       (1) The strategy of the People's Republic of China 
     regarding the military, economic, and political power of 
     China in the Indo-Pacific region and worldwide, including why 
     the People's Republic of China has decided on such strategy 
     and what the strategy means for the long-term interests, 
     values, goals, and objectives of the United States.
       (2) The worldwide interests, values, goals, and objectives 
     of the United States as they relate to geostrategic and 
     geoeconomic competition with the People's Republic of China.
       (3) The foreign and economic policy, worldwide commitments, 
     and national defense capabilities of the United States 
     necessary to deter aggression and to implement the national 
     security strategy of the United States as they relate to the 
     new era of competition with the People's Republic of China.
       (4) How the United States will exercise the political, 
     economic, military, diplomatic, and other elements of its 
     national power to protect or advance its interests and values 
     and achieve the goals and objectives referred to in paragraph 
     (1).
       (5) The adequacy of the capabilities of the United States 
     Government to carry out the national security strategy of the 
     United States within the context of new and emergent 
     challenges to the international order posed by the People's 
     Republic of China, including an evaluation--
       (A) of the balance among the capabilities of all elements 
     of national power of the United States; and
       (B) the balance of all United States elements of national 
     power in comparison to equivalent elements of national power 
     of the People's Republic of China.
       (6) The assumptions and end-state or end-states of the 
     strategy of the United States globally and in the Indo-
     Pacific region with respect to the People's Republic of 
     China.
       (7) Such other information as the President considers 
     necessary to help inform Congress on matters relating to the 
     national security strategy of the United States with respect 
     to the People's Republic of China.
       (d) Advisory Board on United States Grand Strategy With 
     Respect to China.--
       (1) Establishment.--There is hereby established in the 
     executive branch a commission to be known as the ``Advisory 
     Board on United States Grand Strategy with respect to China'' 
     (in this section referred to as the ``Board'').

[[Page S7982]]

       (2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Board is to convene 
     outside experts to advise the President on development of the 
     China Strategy.
       (3) Duties.--
       (A) Review.--The Board shall review the current national 
     security strategy of the United States with respect to the 
     People's Republic of China, including assumptions, 
     capabilities, strategy, and end-state or end-states.
       (B) Assessment and recommendations.--The Board shall 
     analyze the United States national security strategy with 
     respect to the People's Republic of China, including 
     challenging its assumptions and approach, and make 
     recommendations to the President for the China Strategy.
       (C) Classified briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date on which the President submits the China Strategy to 
     Congress under subsection (b)(2), the Board shall provide to 
     Congress a classified briefing on its review, assessment, and 
     recommendations.
       (4) Composition.--
       (A) Recommendations.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
     on which the President first submits to Congress a national 
     security strategy under section 108 of the National Security 
     Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043) after the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, the majority leader of the Senate, the minority 
     leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives, and the minority leader of the House of 
     Representatives shall each provide to the President a list of 
     at not fewer than 10 candidates for membership on the Board, 
     at least 5 of whom shall be individuals in the private sector 
     and 5 of whom shall be individuals in academia or employed by 
     a nonprofit research institution.
       (B) Membership.--The Board shall be composed of 9 members 
     appointed by the President as follows:
       (i) The National Security Advisor or such other designee as 
     the President considers appropriate, such as the Asia 
     Coordinator from the National Security Council.
       (ii) Four shall be selected from among individuals in the 
     private sector.
       (iii) Four shall be selected from among individuals in 
     academia or employed by a nonprofit research institution.
       (iv) Two members should be selected from among individuals 
     included in the list submitted by the majority leader of the 
     Senate under subparagraph (A), of whom--

       (I) one should be selected from among individuals in the 
     private sector; and
       (II) one should be selected from among individuals in 
     academia or employed by a nonprofit research institution.

       (v) Two members should be selected from among individuals 
     included in the list submitted by the minority leader of the 
     Senate under subparagraph (A), of whom--

       (I) one should be selected from among individuals in the 
     private sector; and
       (II) one should be selected from among individuals in 
     academia or employed by a nonprofit research institution.

       (vi) Two members should be selected from among individuals 
     included in the list submitted by the Speaker of the House of 
     Representatives under subparagraph (A), or whom--

       (I) one should be selected from among individuals in the 
     private sector; and
       (II) one should be selected from among individuals in 
     academia or employed by a nonprofit research institution.

       (vii) Two members should be selected from among individuals 
     included in the list submitted by the minority leader of the 
     House of Representatives under subparagraph (A), of whom--

       (I) one should be selected from among individuals in the 
     private sector; and
       (II) one should be selected from among individuals in 
     academia or employed by a nonprofit research institution.

       (C) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Board shall be the 
     member of the Board appointed under subparagraph (B)(i).
       (D) Nongovernmental membership; period of appointment; 
     vacancies.--
       (i) Nongovernmental membership.--Except in the case of the 
     Chairperson of the Board, an individual appointed to the 
     Board may not be an officer or employee of an instrumentality 
     of government.
       (ii) Period of appointment.--Members shall be appointed for 
     the life of the Board.
       (iii) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the Board shall be filled 
     in the same manner as the original appointment.
       (5) Deadline for appointment.--Not later than 60 days after 
     the date on which the President first submits to Congress a 
     national security strategy under section 108 of the National 
     Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043) after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the President shall--
       (A) appoint the members of the Board pursuant to paragraph 
     (4); and
       (B) submit to Congress a list of the members so appointed.
       (6) Experts and consultants.--The Board is authorized to 
     procure temporary and intermittent services under section 
     3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for 
     individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum 
     annual rate of basic pay under level IV of the Executive 
     Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States Code.
       (7) Security clearances.--The appropriate Federal 
     departments or agencies shall cooperate with the Board in 
     expeditiously providing to the Board members and experts and 
     consultants appropriate security clearances to the extent 
     possible pursuant to existing procedures and requirements, 
     except that no person may be provided with access to 
     classified information under this Act without the appropriate 
     security clearances.
       (8) Receipt, handling, storage, and dissemination.--
     Information shall only be received, handled, stored, and 
     disseminated by members of the Board and any experts and 
     consultants consistent with all applicable statutes, 
     regulations, and Executive orders.
       (9) Nonapplicability of certain requirements.--The Federal 
     Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and section 552b of 
     title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the 
     ``Government in the Sunshine Act''), shall not apply to the 
     Board.
       (10) Uncompensated service.--A member of the Board who is 
     not an officer or employee of the Federal Government shall 
     serve without compensation.
       (11) Cooperation from government.--In carrying out its 
     duties, the Board shall receive the full and timely 
     cooperation of the heads of relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies in providing the Board with analysis, briefings, and 
     other information necessary for the fulfillment of its 
     responsibilities.
       (12) Termination.--The Board shall terminate on the date 
     that is 60 days after the date on which the President submits 
     the China Strategy to Congress under subsection (b)(2).
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