[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5245-S5246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5761. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) 
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 D of title XII of division A, add 
     the following:

     SEC. 1254. INCREASING DEPARTMENT OF STATE PERSONNEL AND 
                   RESOURCES DEVOTED TO THE INDO-PACIFIC REGION.

       (a) Action Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall 
     submit an action plan to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress that--

[[Page S5246]]

       (1) identifies requirements to advance United States 
     strategic objectives in the Indo-Pacific region and the 
     personnel and budgetary resources needed to meet such 
     objectives, assuming an unconstrained resource environment;
       (2) includes a plan for increasing the portion of the 
     Department of State's budget that is dedicated to the Indo-
     Pacific region in terms of diplomatic engagement and foreign 
     assistance focused on development, economic, and security 
     assistance;
       (3) includes a summary of the actions that have been taken 
     to increase the number of positions at posts in the Indo-
     Pacific region and bureaus with responsibility for the Indo-
     Pacific region, and an action plan for further increasing 
     such positions during the next 2 fiscal years including--
       (A) a description of increases at each post or bureau;
       (B) a breakdown of increases by cone;
       (C) a description of how such increases in personnel will 
     advance United States strategic objectives in the Indo-
     Pacific region; and
       (D) a description of training opportunities to be provided 
     to such officers to improve their abilities--
       (i) to advance free, fair, and reciprocal trade and open 
     investment environments for United States companies, and 
     engaged in increased commercial diplomacy in key markets;
       (ii) to better articulate and explain United States 
     policies;
       (iii) to strengthen civil society and democratic 
     principles;
       (iv) to enhance reporting on the People's Republic of 
     China's global activities;
       (v) to promote people-to-people exchanges;
       (vi) to advance United States' influence in the Indo-
     Pacific region; and
       (vii) to increase capacity at small- and medium-sized 
     embassies and consulates in the Indo-Pacific region and in 
     other regions around the world, as necessary;
       (4) defines concrete and annual benchmarks that the 
     Department of State will meet in implementing the action 
     plan; and
       (5) describes any barriers to implementing the action plan.
       (b) Updates to Report and Briefing.--Not later than 90 days 
     after the submission of the action plan required under 
     subsection (a), and semiannually thereafter until September 
     30, 2030, the Secretary of State shall submit an updated 
     action plan and brief the appropriate committees of Congress 
     on the implementation of such action plan, with supporting 
     data, including a detailed assessment of benchmarks that have 
     been reached.
       (c) Secretary of State Certification.--Not later than 2 
     years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of State shall submit a certification to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress that indicates whether or 
     not the benchmarks described in the action plan required 
     under subsection (a) have been met. This certification 
     requirement may not be delegated to another Department of 
     State official.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated, for fiscal year 2024--
       (1) $2,300,000,000 for bilateral and regional foreign 
     assistance resources to carry out the purposes of part 1 and 
     chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 
     (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq. and 2346 et seq.) in the Indo-Pacific 
     region; and
       (2) $1,000,000,000 for diplomatic engagement resources to 
     the Indo-Pacific region.
                                 ______