[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5756-S5758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 6233. Mr. SCHATZ 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 title XII, add the following:
Subtitle G--Oceania
SEC. 1281. DEFINITION OF OCEANIA.
In this subtitle, except as provided in section 1286, the
term ``Oceania'' includes the following:
(1) Easter Island of Chile.
(2) Fiji.
(3) French Polynesia of France.
(4) Kiribati.
(5) Nauru.
(6) New Caledonia of France.
(7) Nieu of New Zealand.
(8) Papua New Guinea.
(9) Samoa.
(10) Vanuatu.
(11) The Ashmore and Cartier Islands of Australia.
(12) The Cook Islands of New Zealand.
(13) The Coral Islands of Australia.
(14) The Federated States of Micronesia.
(15) The Norfolk Island of Australia.
(16) The Pitcairn Islands of the United Kingdom.
(17) The Republic of the Marshall Islands.
(18) The Republic of Palau.
(19) The Solomon Islands.
(20) Tokelau of New Zealand.
(21) Tonga.
(22) Tuvalu.
(23) Wallis and Futuna of France.
SEC. 1282. OCEANIA STRATEGIC ROADMAP.
(a) Oceania Strategic Roadmap.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives a strategic roadmap for strengthening
United States engagement with the countries of Oceania,
including an analysis of opportunities to cooperate with
Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, to address shared concerns
and promote shared goals in pursuit of security and
resiliency in the countries of Oceania.
(b) Elements.--The strategic roadmap required by subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) A description of United States regional goals and
concerns with respect to Oceania and increasing engagement
with the countries of Oceania.
(2) An assessment, based on paragraph (1), of United States
regional goals and concerns that are shared by Australia, New
Zealand, and Japan, including a review of issues related to
anticorruption, maritime and other security issues,
environmental protection, fisheries management, economic
growth and development, and disaster resilience and
preparedness.
(3) A review of ongoing programs and initiatives by the
governments of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and
Japan in pursuit of those shared regional goals and concerns,
including with respect to the issues described in paragraph
(1).
(4) A review of ongoing programs and initiatives by
regional organizations and other related intergovernmental
structures aimed at addressing the issues described in
paragraph (1).
(5) A plan for aligning United States programs and
resources in pursuit of those shared regional goals and
concerns, as appropriate.
(6) Recommendations for additional United States
authorities, personnel, programs, or resources necessary to
execute the strategic roadmap.
(7) Any other elements the Secretary considers appropriate.
SEC. 1283. REVIEW OF USAID PROGRAMMING IN OCEANIA.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development (in this section referred to as
``USAID''), should include the Indo-Pacific countries of
Oceania in existing strategic planning and multi-sector
program evaluation processes, including the Department of
State's Integrated Country Strategies and USAID's Country
Development Cooperation Strategies, the Joint Strategic Plan,
and the Journey to Self-Reliance Country Roadmaps.
(b) Programmatic Considerations.--Evaluations and
considerations for Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania in the
program planning and strategic development processes under
subsection (a) should include--
(1) descriptions of the diplomatic and development
challenges of the Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania as those
challenges relate to the strategic, economic, and
humanitarian interests of the United States;
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(2) reviews of existing Department of State and USAID
programs to address the diplomatic and development challenges
of those countries evaluated under paragraph (1);
(3) descriptions of the barriers, if any, to increasing
Department of State and USAID programming to Indo-Pacific
countries of Oceania, including--
(A) the relative income level of the Indo-Pacific countries
of Oceania relative to other regions where there is high
demand for United States foreign assistance to support
development needs;
(B) the relative capacity of the Indo-Pacific countries of
Oceania to absorb United States foreign assistance for
diplomatic and development needs through partner governments
and civil society institutions; and
(C) any other factor that the Secretary or Administrator
determines may constitute a barrier to deploying or
increasing United States foreign assistance to the Indo-
Pacific countries of Oceania;
(4) assessments of the presence of, degree of international
development by, partner country indebtedness to, and
political influence of malign foreign governments, such as
the Government of the People's Republic of China, and non-
state actors;
(5) assessments of new foreign economic assistance
modalities that could assist in strengthening United States
foreign assistance in the Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania,
including the deployment of technical assistance and asset
recovery tools to partner governments and civil society
institutions to help develop the capacity and expertise
necessary to achieve self-sufficiency;
(6) an evaluation of the existing budget and resource
management processes for the Department of State's and
USAID's mission and work with respect to its programming in
the Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania;
(7) an explanation of how the Secretary and the
Administrator will use existing programming processes,
including those with respect to development of an Integrated
Country Strategy, Country Development Cooperation Strategy,
the Joint Strategic Plan, and the Journey to Self-Reliance
Country Roadmaps, to advance the long-term growth,
governance, economic development, and resilience of the Indo-
Pacific countries of Oceania; and
(8) any recommendations about appropriate budgetary,
resource management, and programmatic changes necessary to
assist in strengthening United States foreign assistance
programming in the Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania.
SEC. 1284. OCEANIA SECURITY DIALOGUE.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall brief
the appropriate committees of Congress on the feasibility and
advisability of establishing a United States-based public-
private sponsored security dialogue (to be known as the
``Oceania Security Dialogue'') among the countries of Oceania
for the purposes of jointly exploring and discussing issues
affecting the economic, diplomatic, and national security of
the Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania.
(b) Report Required.--The briefing required by subsection
(a) shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(1) A review of the ability of the Department of State to
participate in a public-private sponsored security dialogue.
(2) An assessment of the potential locations for conducting
an Oceania Security Dialogue in the jurisdiction of the
United States.
(3) Consideration of dates for conducting an Oceania
Security Dialogue that would maximize participation of
representatives from the Indo-Pacific countries of Oceania.
(4) A review of the funding modalities available to the
Department of State to help finance an Oceania Security
Dialogue, including grant-making authorities available to the
Department of State.
(5) An assessment of any administrative, statutory, or
other legal limitations that would prevent the establishment
of an Oceania Security Dialogue with participation and
support of the Department of State as described in subsection
(a).
(6) An analysis of how an Oceania Security Dialogue could
help to advance the Boe Declaration on Regional Security,
including its emphasis on the changing environment as the
greatest existential threat to countries of Oceania.
(7) An evaluation of how an Oceania Security Dialogue could
help amplify the issues and work of existing regional
structures and organizations dedicated to the security of the
Oceania region, such as the Pacific Island Forum and the
Pacific Environmental Security Forum.
(8) An analysis of how an Oceania Security Dialogue would
help with implementation of the strategic roadmap required by
section 1282 and advance the National Security Strategy of
the United States.
(c) Interagency Consultation.--To the extent practicable,
the Secretary of State may consult with the Secretary of
Defense and, where appropriate, evaluate the lessons learned
of the Regional Centers for Security Studies of the
Department of Defense to determine the feasibility and
advisability of establishing the Oceania Security Dialogue.
(d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(3) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(4) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 1285. REPORT ON COUNTERING ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, AND
UNREGULATED FISHING IN OCEANIA.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) many countries of the Oceania region depend on
commercial tuna fisheries as a critical component of their
economies;
(2) the Government of the People's Republic of China has
used its licensed fishing fleet to exert greater influence in
Oceania, but at the same time, its licensed fishing fleet is
also a major contributor to illegal, unreported, and
unregulated fishing (in this section referred to as ``IUU
fishing'') activities;
(3) the sustainability of Oceania's fisheries is threatened
by IUU fishing, which depletes both commercially important
fish stocks and non-targeted species that help maintain the
integrity of the ocean ecosystem;
(4) in addition, IUU fishing puts pressure on protected
species of marine mammals, sea turtles, and sea birds, which
also jeopardizes the integrity of the ocean ecosystem;
(5) further, because IUU fishing goes unrecorded, the loss
of biomass compromises scientists' work to assess and model
fishery stocks and advise managers on sustainable catch
levels;
(6) beyond the damage to living marine resources, IUU
fishing also contributes directly to illegal activity in the
Oceania region, such as food fraud, smuggling, and human
trafficking;
(7) current approaches to IUU fishing enforcement rely on
established methods, such as vessel monitoring systems,
logbooks maintained by government fisheries enforcement
authorities to record the catches landed by fishing vessels,
and corroborating data on catches hand-collected by human
observer programs;
(8) such established methods are imperfect because--
(A) vessels can turn off monitoring systems and unlicensed
vessels do not use them; and
(B) observer coverage is thin and subject to human error
and corruption;
(9) maritime domain awareness technology solutions for
vessel monitoring have gained credibility in recent years and
include systems such as observing instruments deployed on
satellites, crewed and uncrewed air and surface systems,
aircraft, and surface vessels, as well as electronic
monitoring systems on fishing vessels;
(10) maritime domain awareness technologies hold the
promise of significantly augmenting the current IUU fishing
enforcement capacities; and
(11) maritime domain awareness technologies offer an avenue
for addressing key United States national interests,
including those interests related to--
(A) increasing bilateral diplomatic ties with key allies
and partners in the Oceania region;
(B) countering illicit trafficking in arms, narcotics, and
human beings associated with IUU fishing;
(C) advancing security, long-term growth, and development
in the Oceania region;
(D) supporting ocean conservation objectives;
(E) reducing food insecurity; and
(F) countering attempts by the Government of the People's
Republic of China to grow its influence in the Oceania
region.
(b) Report Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, the Commandant of the Coast
Guard, and the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report assessing the
use of advanced maritime domain awareness technology systems
to combat IUU fishing in Oceania.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include--
(A) a review of the effectiveness of existing monitoring
technologies, including electronic monitoring systems, to
combat IUU fishing;
(B) recommendations for effectively integrating effective
monitoring technologies into an Oceania-wide strategy for IUU
fishing enforcement;
(C) an assessment and recommendations for the secure and
reliable processing of data from such monitoring
technologies, including the security and verification issues;
(D) the technical and financial capacity of countries of
the Oceania region to deploy and maintain large-scale use of
maritime domain awareness technological systems for the
purposes of combating IUU fishing and supporting fisheries
resource management;
(E) a review of the technical and financial capacity of
regional organizations and international structures to
support countries of the Oceania region in the deployment and
maintenance of large-scale use of maritime domain awareness
technology systems for the purposes of combating IUU fishing
and supporting fisheries resource management;
(F) an evaluation of the utility of using foreign
assistance, security assistance, and development assistance
provided by the United States to countries of the Oceania
region to support the large-scale deployment and operations
of maritime domain awareness systems to increase maritime
security across the region; and
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(G) an assessment of the role of large-scale deployment and
operations of maritime domain awareness systems throughout
Oceania to supporting United States economic and national
security interests in the Oceania region, including efforts
related to countering IUU fishing, improving maritime
security, and countering malign foreign influence.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(B) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives.
SEC. 1286. OCEANIA PEACE CORPS PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Peace Corps
shall submit to Congress a report on strategies to reasonably
and safely expand the number of Peace Corps volunteers in
Oceania, with the goals of--
(1) expanding the presence of the Peace Corps to all
currently feasible locations in Oceania; and
(2) working with regional and international partners of the
United States to expand the presence of Peace Corps
volunteers in low-income Oceania communities in support of
climate resilience initiatives.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a)
shall--
(1) assess the factors contributing to the current absence
of the Peace Corps and its volunteers in Oceania;
(2) examine potential remedies that include working with
United States Government agencies and regional governments,
including governments of United States allies--
(A) to increase the health infrastructure and medical
evacuation capabilities of the countries of Oceania to better
support the safety of Peace Corps volunteers while in those
countries;
(B) to address physical safety concerns that have decreased
the ability of the Peace Corps to operate in Oceania; and
(C) to increase transportation infrastructure in the
countries of Oceania to better support the travel of Peace
Corps volunteers and their access to necessary facilities;
(3) evaluate the potential to expand the deployment of
Peace Corps Response volunteers to help the countries of
Oceania address social, economic, and development needs of
their communities that require specific professional
expertise; and
(4) explore potential new operational models to address
safety and security needs of Peace Corps volunteers in the
countries of Oceania, including--
(A) changes to volunteer deployment durations; and
(B) scheduled redeployment of volunteers to regional or
United States-based healthcare facilities for routine
physical and behavioral health evaluation.
(c) Volunteers in Low-income Oceania Communities.--
(1) In general.--In examining the potential to expand the
presence of Peace Corps volunteers in low-income Oceania
communities under subsection (a)(2), the Director of the
Peace Corps shall consider the development of initiatives
described in paragraph (2).
(2) Initiatives described.--Initiatives described in this
paragraph are volunteer initiatives that help the countries
of Oceania address social, economic, and development needs of
their communities, including by--
(A) addressing, through appropriate resilience-based
interventions, the vulnerability that communities in Oceania
face as result of extreme weather, severe environmental
change, and other climate related trends; and
(B) improving, through smart infrastructure principles,
access to transportation and connectivity infrastructure that
will help address the economic and social challenges that
communities in Oceania confront as a result of poor or
nonexistent infrastructure.
(d) Oceania Defined.--In this section, the term ``Oceania''
includes the following:
(1) Fiji.
(2) Kiribati.
(3) The Republic of the Marshall Islands.
(4) The Federated States of Micronesia.
(5) Nauru.
(6) Palau.
(7) Papua New Guinea.
(8) Samoa.
(9) The Solomon Islands.
(10) Tonga.
(11) Tuvalu.
(12) Vanuatu.
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