[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 198 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8113-S8114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4603. Mr. PORTMAN (for himself and Mr. Cardin) 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 G of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1283. ECONOMIC DEFENSE RESPONSE TEAMS.
(a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the President, acting through
the Secretary of State, shall develop and implement a pilot
program for the creation of deployable economic defense
response teams to help provide emergency technical assistance
and support to a country subjected to the threat or use of
coercive economic measures and to play a liaison role between
the legitimate government of that country and the United
States Government. Such assistance and support may include
the following activities:
(1) Reducing the partner country's vulnerability to
coercive economic measures.
(2) Minimizing the damage that such measures by an
adversary could cause to that country.
(3) Implementing any bilateral or multilateral contingency
plans that may exist for responding to the threat or use of
such measures.
(4) In coordination with the partner country, developing or
improving plans and strategies by the country for reducing
vulnerabilities and improving responses to such measures in
the future.
(5) Assisting the partner country in dealing with foreign
sovereign investment in infrastructure or related projects
that may undermine the partner country's sovereignty.
(6) Assisting the partner country in responding to specific
efforts from an adversary attempting to employ economic
coercion that undermines the partner country's sovereignty,
including efforts in the cyber domain, such as efforts that
undermine cybersecurity or digital security of the partner
country or initiatives that introduce digital technologies in
a manner that undermines freedom, security, and sovereignty
of the partner country.
(7) Otherwise providing direct and relevant short-to-medium
term economic or other assistance from the United States and
marshalling other resources in support of effective responses
to such measures.
[[Page S8114]]
(b) Institutional Support.--The pilot program required by
subsection (a) should include the following elements:
(1) Identification and designation of relevant personnel
within the United States Government with expertise relevant
to the objectives specified in subsection (a), including
personnel in--
(A) the Department of State, for overseeing the economic
defense response team's activities, engaging with the partner
country government and other stakeholders, and other purposes
relevant to advancing the success of the mission of the
economic defense response team;
(B) the United States Agency for International Development,
for the purposes of providing technical, humanitarian, and
other assistance, generally;
(C) the Department of the Treasury, for the purposes of
providing advisory support and assistance on all financial
matters and fiscal implications of the crisis at hand;
(D) the Department of Commerce, for the purposes of
providing economic analysis and assistance in market
development relevant to the partner country's response to the
crisis at hand, technology security as appropriate, and other
matters that may be relevant;
(E) the Department of Energy, for the purposes of providing
advisory services and technical assistance with respect to
energy needs as affected by the crisis at hand;
(F) the Department of Homeland Security, for the purposes
of providing assistance with respect to digital and
cybersecurity matters, and assisting in the development of
any contingency plans referred to in paragraphs (3) and (6)
of subsection (a) as appropriate;
(G) the Department of Agriculture, for providing advisory
and other assistance with respect to responding to coercive
measures such as arbitrary market closures that affect the
partner country's agricultural sector;
(H) the Office of the United States Trade Representative
with respect to providing support and guidance on trade and
investment matters; and
(I) other Federal departments and agencies as determined by
the President.
(2) Negotiation of memoranda of understanding, where
appropriate, with other United States Government components
for the provision of any relevant participating or detailed
non-Department of State personnel identified under paragraph
(1).
(3) Negotiation of contracts, as appropriate, with private
sector representatives or other individuals with relevant
expertise to advance the objectives specified in subsection
(a).
(4) Development within the United States Government of--
(A) appropriate training curricula for relevant experts
identified under paragraph (1) and for United States
diplomatic personnel in a country actually or potentially
threatened by coercive economic measures;
(B) operational procedures and appropriate protocols for
the rapid assembly of such experts into one or more teams for
deployment to a country actually or potentially threatened by
coercive economic measures; and
(C) procedures for ensuring appropriate support for such
teams when serving in a country actually or potentially
threatened by coercive economic measures, including, as
applicable, logistical assistance, office space, information
support, and communications.
(5) Negotiation with relevant potential host countries of
procedures and methods for ensuring the rapid and effective
deployment of such teams, and the establishment of
appropriate liaison relationships with local public and
private sector officials and entities.
(c) Reports Required.--
(1) Report on establishment.--Upon establishment of the
pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary of
State shall provide the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives with a detailed report and briefing
describing the pilot program, the major elements of the
program, the personnel and institutions involved, and the
degree to which the program incorporates the elements
described in subsection (a).
(2) Follow-up report.--Not later than one year after the
report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of State
shall provide the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives with a detailed report and briefing
describing the operations over the previous year of the pilot
program established pursuant to subsection (a), as well as
the Secretary's assessment of its performance and suitability
for becoming a permanent program.
(3) Form.--Each report required under this subsection shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.
(d) Declaration of an Economic Crisis Required.--
(1) Notification.--The President may activate an economic
defense response team for a period of 180 days under the
authorities of this section to assist a partner country in
responding to an unusual and extraordinary economic coercive
threat by an adversary of the United States upon the
declaration of a coercive economic emergency, together with
notification to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Extension authority.--The President may activate the
response team for an additional 180 days upon the submission
of a detailed analysis to the committees described in
paragraph (1) justifying why the continued deployment of the
economic defense response team in response to the economic
emergency is in the national security interest of the United
States.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated for the Department of State $1,000,000 for
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out the pilot
program under this section.
(f) Sunset.--The authorities provided under this section
shall expire on December 31, 2026.
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