[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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