[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 194 (Thursday, November 4, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4498. Mr. RISCH 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 end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1253. INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSACTION AND ASSISTANCE NETWORK.

       (a) Authority.--The Secretary of State is authorized to 
     establish an initiative, to be known as the ``Infrastructure 
     Transaction and Assistance Network'', under which the 
     Secretary of State, in consultation with other relevant 
     Federal agencies, including those represented on the Global 
     Infrastructure Coordinating Committee, may carry out various 
     programs to advance the development of sustainable, 
     transparent, and high-quality infrastructure in the Indo-
     Pacific region by--
       (1) strengthening capacity-building programs to improve 
     project evaluation processes, regulatory and procurement 
     environments, and project preparation capacity of countries 
     that are partners of the United States in such development;
       (2) providing transaction advisory services and project 
     preparation assistance to support sustainable infrastructure; 
     and
       (3) coordinating the provision of United States assistance 
     for the development of infrastructure, including 
     infrastructure that utilizes United States-manufactured goods 
     and services, and catalyzing investment led by the private 
     sector.
       (b) Transaction Advisory Fund.--As part of the 
     ``Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance Network'' 
     described under subsection (a), the Secretary of State is 
     authorized to provide support, including through the 
     Transaction Advisory Fund, for advisory services to help 
     boost the capacity of partner countries to evaluate contracts 
     and assess the financial and environmental impacts of 
     potential infrastructure projects, including through 
     providing services such as--
       (1) legal services;
       (2) project preparation and feasibility studies;
       (3) debt sustainability analyses;
       (4) bid or proposal evaluation; and
       (5) other services relevant to advancing the development of 
     sustainable, transparent, and high-quality infrastructure.
       (c) Strategic Infrastructure Fund.--
       (1) In general.--As part of the ``Infrastructure 
     Transaction and Assistance Network'' described under 
     subsection (a), the Secretary of State is authorized to 
     provide support, including through the Strategic 
     Infrastructure Fund, for technical assistance, project 
     preparation, pipeline development, and other infrastructure 
     project support.
       (2) Joint infrastructure projects.--Funds authorized for 
     the Strategic Infrastructure Fund should be used in 
     coordination with the Department of Defense, the 
     International Development Finance Corporation, like-minded 
     donor partners, and multilateral banks, as appropriate, to 
     support joint infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific 
     region.
       (3) Strategic infrastructure projects.--Funds authorized 
     for the Strategic Infrastructure Fund should be used to 
     support strategic infrastructure projects that are in the 
     national security interest of the United States and 
     vulnerable to strategic competitors.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2022 to 2026, 
     $75,000,000 to the Infrastructure Transaction and Assistance 
     Network, of which $20,000,000 is to be provided for the 
     Transaction Advisory Fund.
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