[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 27, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4543-H4545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1415
         CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE AUTHORIZATION ACT

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4133) to authorize appropriations for the Caribbean Basin 
Security Initiative, enhance the United States-Caribbean security 
partnership, prioritize disaster resilience, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4133

       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 ``Caribbean Basin Security 
     Initiative Authorization Act''.

     SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE CARIBBEAN 
                   BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE.

       (a) Authorization.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     $74,800,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to 
     carry out the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to achieve 
     the purposes described in subsection (b).
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes described in this subsection 
     are the following:
       (1) To promote citizen safety, security, and the rule of 
     law in the Caribbean through increased strategic engagement 
     with the governments of beneficiary countries and with 
     elements of local civil society, including the private 
     sector, in such countries.
       (2) To carry out the promotion of such safety, security, 
     and the rule of law through efforts including the following:
       (A) Capacity building for law enforcement and military 
     units, including professionalization, anti-corruption and 
     human rights training, vetting, and community-based policing.
       (B) Maritime and aerial security cooperation, including 
     assistance to strengthen Caribbean maritime and aerial 
     interdiction operations capability and the provision of 
     support systems and equipment, training, and maintenance.
       (C) Border and port security cooperation, including support 
     to strengthen capacity for screening and to intercept 
     narcotics, weapons, bulk cash, and other contraband at 
     airports and seaports.
       (D) Support for justice sector reform and strengthening of 
     the rule of law, including capacity building for prosecutors, 
     judges, and other justice officials, and support to increase 
     the efficacy of criminal courts.
       (E) Cybersecurity and cybercrime cooperation, including 
     capacity-building and support for cybersecurity systems.
       (F) Countering transnational criminal organizations and 
     local gang activity, including capacity-building, equipment, 
     and support for operations targeting the finances and illegal 
     activities of transnational criminal networks and local gangs 
     such as their recruitment of at-risk youth, and the provision 
     of assistance to populations vulnerable to being victims of 
     extortion and crime by criminal networks.
       (G) Strengthening special prosecutorial offices and 
     providing technical assistance to combat corruption, money 
     laundering, financial crimes, extortion, and human rights 
     crimes, and conduct asset forfeitures and criminal analysis.
       (H) Strengthening the ability of the security sector to 
     respond to and become more resilient in the face of natural 
     disasters, including by carrying out training exercises to 
     ensure critical infrastructure and ports are able to come 
     back online rapidly following disasters and providing 
     preparedness training to police and first responders.
       (I) Supporting training for civilian police and appropriate 
     security services in criminal investigations, best practices 
     for citizen security, and the protection of human rights.
       (J) Improving community and law enforcement cooperation to 
     improve effectiveness and professionalism of police and 
     increase mutual trust.
       (K) Increasing economic opportunities for at-risk youth and 
     vulnerable populations, including workforce development 
     training and remedial education programs for at-risk youth.
       (L) Improving juvenile justice sectors through regulatory 
     reforms, separating youth from traditional prison systems, 
     and improving support and services in juvenile detention 
     centers.
       (3) To prioritize efforts to combat corruption and include 
     anti-corruption components to programs, including by--
       (A) strengthening national justice systems and attorneys 
     general and supporting independent media and investigative 
     reporting;
       (B) supporting multilateral anti-corruption mechanisms; and
       (C) encouraging cooperative agreements between the 
     Department of State, other relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies, and the attorneys general of relevant countries to 
     fight corruption in the Caribbean.
       (4) To promote the rule of law in the Caribbean and counter 
     malign influence from authoritarian regimes, including China 
     and Russia, by:
       (A) Monitoring security assistance from authoritarian 
     regimes and taking steps necessary to ensure that this 
     assistance does not undermine or jeopardize U.S. security 
     assistance.
       (B) Evaluating and, as appropriate, restricting United 
     States involvement in investment and infrastructure projects 
     financed by authoritarian regimes that might obstruct or 
     otherwise impact United States security assistance to 
     beneficiary countries.
       (C) Monitoring and restricting equipment and support from 
     high risk vendors for telecommunications infrastructure in 
     beneficiary countries.
       (D) Countering disinformation by promoting transparency and 
     accountability from beneficiary countries.
       (E) Eliminating corruption linked to investment and 
     infrastructure facilitated by authoritarian regimes through 
     support for investment screening, competitive tendering and 
     bidding processes, the implementation of investment law, and 
     contractual transparency.
       (5) To promote strategic engagement with the governments of 
     beneficiary countries through effective branding and 
     messaging of United States assistance and security 
     cooperation, including by developing a public diplomacy 
     strategy for educating citizens of beneficiary countries 
     about United States assistance and security cooperation 
     programs and benefits.

     SEC. 3. STRATEGY TO IMPROVE DISASTER RESILIENCE.

       (a) Prioritization.--During the 5-year period beginning on 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
     shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the United 
     States Agency for International Development and the President 
     and Chief Executive Officer of the Inter-American Foundation, 
     prioritize efforts to increase disaster response and 
     resilience by carrying out programs in beneficiary countries 
     for the following purposes:
       (1) Encouraging coordination between beneficiary countries 
     and relevant Federal departments and agencies to provide 
     expertise and information sharing.
       (2) Supporting sharing of best practices on disaster 
     resilience including constructing resilient infrastructure 
     and rebuilding after natural disasters.
       (3) Improving rapid-response mechanisms and cross-
     government organizational preparedness for natural disasters.
       (b) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in 
     coordination with the Administrator of the United States 
     Agency for International Development and in consultation with 
     the President and Chief Economic Officer of the Inter-
     American Foundation, submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees a strategy that incorporates specific, measurable 
     benchmarks to achieve the purposes described in subsection 
     (a) and to inform citizens of beneficiary countries about the 
     extent and benefits of United States assistance to such 
     countries. In developing such strategy, the Secretary of 
     State shall also consult with nongovernmental organizations 
     in beneficiary countries and in the United States.
       (c) Annual Progress Update.--The Secretary, in coordination 
     with the Administrator, shall annually submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a written description of 
     the progress made as of the date of such submission in 
     meeting the benchmarks included in the strategy submitted 
     pursuant to subsection (b).

[[Page H4544]]

  


     SEC. 4. MONITORING AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

       Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
     Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
     Development, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
     committees an implementation plan that includes a timeline 
     and stated objectives for actions to be taken with respect to 
     the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. The plan shall also 
     include the following elements:
       (1) A multi-year strategy with a timeline, overview of 
     objectives, and anticipated outcomes for the region and for 
     each beneficiary country, with respect to each program area 
     described in section 2.
       (2) Specific, measurable benchmarks to track the progress 
     of the Initiative towards accomplishing the outcomes 
     described pursuant to paragraph (1).
       (3) A plan for the delineation of the roles to be carried 
     out by the Department of State, the United States Agency for 
     International Development, the Department of Justice, the 
     Department of Defense, and any other Federal department or 
     agency in carrying out the Initiative, to prevent overlap and 
     unintended competition between activities and resources.
       (4) A plan to coordinate and track all activities carried 
     out under the Initiative between all relevant Federal 
     departments and agencies, in accordance with the publication 
     requirements described in section 4 of the Foreign Aid 
     Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-
     191; 22 U.S.C. 2394c).
       (5) The results achieved during the previous year--
       (A) of monitoring and evaluation measures to track the 
     progress of the Initiative in accomplishing the benchmarks 
     included pursuant to paragraph (2); and
       (B) of the implementation of the strategy and plans 
     described in paragraphs (1), (3), and (4).
       (6) A description of the process for co-locating Caribbean 
     Basin Security Initiative projects funded by the United 
     States Agency for International Development and the Bureau of 
     International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the 
     Department of State, to ensure that crime prevention funding 
     and enforcement funding are used in the same localities as 
     necessary.

     SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate.
       (2) Beneficiary countries.--The term ``beneficiary 
     countries'' means the beneficiary countries of the Caribbean 
     Basin Security Initiative.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Connolly) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Meuser) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 4133.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4133, the Caribbean 
Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act of 2022.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Espaillat, for 
drafting this important measure.
  CBSI has been essential in helping our partners in the Caribbean 
improve their capacity to combat transnational crime, violence, and 
regional instability while also enhancing our own security and 
strengthening our critical partnerships in the region.
  By supporting a multiyear authorization, we can effectively assist 
our Caribbean partners in citizen safety, security, and the rule of law 
in the Caribbean Basin; reducing corruption and the malign influence of 
authoritarian regimes like Xi Jinping's China and Vladimir Putin's 
Russia; and strengthening the ability of countries in the region to 
prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
  According to a status report from the State Department's U.S. 
Strategy for Engagement in the Caribbean released in July of 2019 is 
says: ``Rising crime and endemic corruption threaten governments' 
ability to provide security and good governance'' in many of the 
nations in the region.
  With ongoing efforts to mitigate transnational organized crime in 
Central America and Mexico, the drug trade and in other illegal 
activities likely will move further into the Caribbean, particularly as 
the regional economic outlook deteriorates due to the continuing 
economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Given the tragic impacts of the recent hurricane season in the 
Caribbean and trends pointing toward more frequent and intense natural 
disasters, this renewed support for CBSI can also help make it possible 
for our friends in the region to become more climate resilient by 
building robust rapid-response mechanisms and resilient infrastructure 
responses throughout the region.
  The support from CBSI can help to avoid a climate of fear and 
uncertainty among citizens that leads to diminished economic growth.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the 
same, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, narcotics trafficking and illicit money from the 
Caribbean is fueling America's drug crisis and is destabilizing the 
Western Hemisphere. The same groups that traffic narcotics, weapons, 
and humans also spread misery throughout the region and into the U.S. 
homeland.
  At the same time, malign actors like the Chinese Communist Party 
spread their web of influence in the region. This problem is especially 
troubling since the Caribbean is home to a large concentration of 
Taiwan's diplomatic allies.
  As evidenced by Nicaragua's recent decision to sever long-standing 
ties with Taiwan, the CCP is employing a range of tools to advance its 
malign agenda in the Caribbean and throughout Latin America.
  Congress must remain committed to working with our allies to address 
shared security threats, cooperating on regional challenges, and 
promoting democratic governance. That is why I am supporting the 
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act.
  As the CCP exerts its malign influence and drugs flow into the United 
States, now is the time to work with our allies in the region to ensure 
our national security interests are protected.
  This legislation will expand our Caribbean partners' ability to 
surveil illicit actors in the water and in the air, improve local law 
enforcement's ability to intercept narcotics trafficking, strengthen 
local criminal justice institutions, and support natural disaster 
response efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Espaillat), my good friend and author of this 
legislation.
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for 
this opportunity to speak about H.R. 4133, the Caribbean Basin Security 
Initiative.
  For more than 10 years, Mr. Speaker, Congress has supported funding 
CBSI, appropriating during that time $831 million, and supporting 13 
Caribbean nations.
  H.R. 4133, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act 
will authorize appropriations of $75 million each year from 2022 to 
2026. It also requires the Department of State to develop a strategy to 
improve disaster resilience in the Caribbean--and to report progress 
made under the initiative.
  We all know how the Caribbean stands in the pathway of hurricanes and 
other natural disasters. As such, they must really improve disaster 
resiliency in those island nations. CBSI supports our allies in the 
Caribbean by promoting citizen safety, citizen security, and adhering 
to the rule of law. It also reduces trafficking in narcotics. It will 
help us interdict narcotics in the Caribbean region, which is the third 
border of our country.
  It also reduces corruption and the malign influence of foreign 
adversaries in the region. We all know how foreign adversaries are 
looking to ill-invest in that region and circumvent, in many cases, 
transparency measures. It strengthens the ability to respond, as I said 
earlier, Mr. Speaker, to natural disasters. It is so important.

[[Page H4545]]

  These island nations are in jeopardy. They are in serious trouble 
with hurricanes and rising sea levels and other natural disasters. You 
better than anybody, Mr. Speaker, know about this. This Caribbean Basin 
Security Initiative would also provide funding for that.
  By empowering our neighbors in the Caribbean, we will in turn bolster 
the national security of the United States. Our allies in the Caribbean 
are facing many, many challenges brought about by the COVID-19 
pandemic, strained global supply chains, and increased energy costs. 
That seems to be a common problem in island nations: increased energy 
costs. As such, they are really up for grabs by some of our adversaries 
who often take advantage in a crisis. We must do more to really help 
out our neighbors, our allies in that region.
  We must continue funding for CBSI. It is critical to help Caribbean 
nations strengthen their economies, and in turn, strengthen our very 
own.
  It is especially important that we continue our engagement in the 
Caribbean as our foreign adversaries attempt to spread their influence 
throughout the region. A safe and prosperous Caribbean region is in the 
United States' national security interests.
  As we prepare to host the ninth Summit of the Americas in California 
in June, I urge my colleagues to support CBSI and reaffirm our 
commitment to enhancing U.S.-Caribbean relations.
  Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, the U.S. and our partners must seriously 
confront the growing threat posed by the CCP in the Caribbean and 
beyond.
  As the situation at our border gets worse, deadly drugs like fentanyl 
are surging across our southern border from illicit actors in Latin 
America. We must address the issue immediately. We cannot ignore the 
Caribbean, America's third border.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Meeks, Mr. Sires, Mr. Green, 
and Mr. Connolly for leading this measure. I urge my colleagues to join 
us in supporting this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for his leadership and 
bipartisanship on this important bill. I really can't add to the 
eloquence of our friend and colleague from New York (Mr. Espaillat).
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important and 
critical piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4133.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. FULCHER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________