[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 157 (Wednesday, September 28, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S5245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5760. 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, add the following:
SEC. 1254. INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSACTION AND ASSISTANCE NETWORK.
(a) Authority.--The Secretary of State, in consultation
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, 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, shall
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 uses 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
in 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 in 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 strategic 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 2023 through
2027, $75,000,000 to the Infrastructure Transaction and
Assistance Network, of which $20,000,000 shall be made
available for the Transaction Advisory Fund.
(e) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter for 3
years, the President shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report that includes--
(A) an identification of infrastructure projects,
particularly in the transport, energy, and digital sectors,
that the United States is currently supporting or is
considering supporting through financing, foreign assistance,
technical assistance, or other means;
(B) for each project identified under subparagraph (A)--
(i) the sector of the project; and
(ii) the recipient country of any such United States
support;
(C) a detailed explanation of the United States and partner
country interests served by such United States support;
(D) a detailed accounting of the authorities and programs
upon which the United States Government has relied in
providing such support; and
(E) a detailed description of any support provided by
United States allies and partners for such projects.
(2) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified
annex.
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