[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2437-S2440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 274. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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 appropriate place in title XII, insert the 
     following:

[[Page S2438]]

  


        Subtitle __--Western Hemisphere Partnership Act of 2023

     SEC. __. SHORT TITLE.

       This subtitle may be cited as the ``Western Hemisphere 
     Partnership Act of 2023''.

     SEC. __. UNITED STATES POLICY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

       It is the policy of the United States to promote economic 
     competitiveness, democratic governance, and security in the 
     Western Hemisphere by--
       (1) encouraging stronger economic relations, respect for 
     property rights, the rule of law, and enforceable investment 
     rules and labor and environmental standards;
       (2) advancing the principles and practices expressed in the 
     Charter of the Organization of American States, the American 
     Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Man, and the Inter-
     American Democratic Charter; and
       (3) enhancing the capacity and technical capabilities of 
     democratic partner nation government institutions, including 
     civilian law enforcement, the judiciary, attorneys general, 
     and security forces.

     SEC. __. PROMOTING SECURITY AND THE RULE OF LAW IN THE 
                   WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States should strengthen security cooperation with 
     democratic partner nations in the Western Hemisphere to 
     promote a secure hemisphere and to address the negative 
     impacts of transnational criminal organizations and malign 
     external state actors.
       (b) Collaborative Efforts.--The Secretary of State, in 
     coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal 
     agencies, should support the improvement of security 
     conditions and the rule of law in the Western Hemisphere 
     through collaborative efforts with democratic partners that--
       (1) enhance the institutional capacity and technical 
     capabilities of defense and security institutions in 
     democratic partner nations to conduct national or regional 
     security missions, including through regular bilateral and 
     multilateral engagements, foreign military sales and 
     financing, international military education and training 
     programs, expanding the National Guard State Partnership 
     Programs, and other means;
       (2) provide technical assistance and material support 
     (including, as appropriate, radars, vessels, and 
     communications equipment) to relevant security forces to 
     disrupt, degrade, and dismantle organizations involved in the 
     illicit trafficking of narcotics and precursor chemicals, 
     transnational criminal activities, illicit mining, and 
     illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and other 
     illicit activities;
       (3) enhance the institutional capacity, legitimacy, and 
     technical capabilities of relevant civilian law enforcement, 
     attorneys general, and judicial institutions to--
       (A) strengthen the rule of law and transparent governance;
       (B) combat corruption and kleptocracy in the region; and
       (C) improve regional cooperation to disrupt, degrade, and 
     dismantle transnational organized criminal networks and 
     terrorist organizations, including through training, 
     anticorruption initiatives, anti-money laundering programs, 
     and strengthening cyber capabilities and resources;
       (4) enhance port management and maritime security 
     partnerships and airport management and aviation security 
     partnerships to disrupt, degrade, and dismantle transnational 
     criminal networks and facilitate the legitimate flow of 
     people, goods, and services;
       (5) strengthen cooperation to improve border security 
     across the Western Hemisphere, dismantle human smuggling and 
     trafficking networks, and increase cooperation to 
     demonstrably strengthen migration management systems;
       (6) counter the malign influence of state and non-state 
     actors and disinformation campaigns;
       (7) disrupt illicit domestic and transnational financial 
     networks;
       (8) foster mechanisms for cooperation on emergency 
     preparedness and rapid recovery from natural disasters, 
     including by--
       (A) supporting regional preparedness, recovery, and 
     emergency management centers to facilitate rapid response to 
     survey and help maintain planning on regional disaster 
     anticipated needs and possible resources;
       (B) training disaster recovery officials on latest 
     techniques and lessons learned from United States 
     experiences;
       (C) making available, preparing, and transferring on-hand 
     nonlethal supplies, and providing training on the use of such 
     supplies, for humanitarian or health purposes to respond to 
     unforeseen emergencies; and
       (D) conducting medical support operations and medical 
     humanitarian missions, such as hospital ship deployments and 
     base-operating services, to the extent required by the 
     operation;
       (9) foster regional mechanisms for early warning and 
     response to pandemics in the Western Hemisphere, including 
     through--
       (A) improved cooperation with and research by the United 
     States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through 
     regional pandemic response centers;
       (B) personnel exchanges for technology transfer and skills 
     development; and
       (C) surveying and mapping of health networks to build local 
     health capacity;
       (10) promote the meaningful participation of women across 
     all political processes, including conflict prevention and 
     conflict resolution and post-conflict relief and recovery 
     efforts; and
       (11) hold accountable actors that violate political and 
     civil rights.
       (c) Limitations on Use of Technologies.--Operational 
     technologies transferred pursuant to subsection (b) to 
     partner governments for intelligence, defense, or law 
     enforcement purposes shall be used solely for the purposes 
     for which the technology was intended. The United States 
     shall take all necessary steps to ensure that the use of such 
     operational technologies is consistent with United States 
     law, including protections of freedom of expression, freedom 
     of movement, and freedom of association.
       (d) Strategy.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal 
     agencies, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
     of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives a 5-year strategy to promote 
     security and the rule of law in the Western Hemisphere in 
     accordance to this section.
       (2) Elements.--The strategy required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include the following elements:
       (A) A detailed assessment of the resources required to 
     carry out such collaborative efforts.
       (B) Annual benchmarks to track progress and obstacles in 
     undertaking such collaborative efforts.
       (C) A public diplomacy component to engage the people of 
     the Western Hemisphere with the purpose of demonstrating that 
     the security of their countries is enhanced to a greater 
     extent through alignment with the United States and 
     democratic values rather than with authoritarian countries 
     such as the People's Republic of China, the Russian 
     Federation, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
       (3) Briefing.--Not later than 1 year after submission of 
     the strategy required under paragraph (1), and annually 
     thereafter, the Secretary of State shall provide to the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
     a briefing on the implementation of the strategy.

     SEC. __. PROMOTING DIGITALIZATION AND CYBERSECURITY IN THE 
                   WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States should support digitalization and expand 
     cybersecurity cooperation in the Western Hemisphere to 
     promote regional economic prosperity and security.
       (b) Promotion of Digitalization and Cybersecurity.--The 
     Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of other 
     relevant Federal agencies, should promote digitalization and 
     cybersecurity in the Western Hemisphere through collaborative 
     efforts with democratic partners that--
       (1) promote digital connectivity and facilitate e-commerce 
     by expanding access to information and communications 
     technology (ICT) supply chains that adhere to high-quality 
     security and reliability standards, including--
       (A) to open market access on a national treatment, 
     nondiscriminatory basis; and
       (B) to strengthen the cybersecurity and cyber resilience of 
     partner countries;
       (2) advance the provision of digital government services 
     (e-government) that, to the greatest extent possible, promote 
     transparency, lower business costs, and expand citizens' 
     access to public services and public information; and
       (3) develop robust cybersecurity partnerships to--
       (A) promote the inclusion of components and architectures 
     in information and communications technology (ICT) supply 
     chains from participants in initiatives that adhere to high-
     quality security and reliability standards;
       (B) share best practices to mitigate cyber threats to 
     critical infrastructure from ICT architectures by technology 
     providers that supply equipment and services covered under 
     section 2 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks 
     Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601);
       (C) effectively respond to cybersecurity threats, including 
     state-sponsored threats; and
       (D) to strengthen resilience against cyberattacks and 
     cybercrime.

     SEC. __. PROMOTING ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS IN 
                   THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States should enhance economic and commercial ties 
     with democratic partners to promote prosperity in the Western 
     Hemisphere by modernizing and strengthening trade capacity-
     building and trade facilitation initiatives, encouraging 
     market-based economic reforms that enable inclusive economic 
     growth, strengthening labor and environmental standards, 
     addressing economic disparities of women, and encouraging 
     transparency and adherence to the rule of law in investment 
     dealings.
       (b) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
     with the United States Trade Representative, the Chief 
     Executive Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, and 
     the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, should support 
     the improvement of economic conditions in the Western 
     Hemisphere through collaborative efforts with democratic 
     partners that--
       (1) facilitate a more open, transparent, and competitive 
     environment for United States

[[Page S2439]]

     businesses and promote robust and comprehensive trade 
     capacity-building and trade facilitation by--
       (A) reducing trade and nontariff barriers between the 
     countries in the region, establishing a mechanism for 
     pursuing Mutual Recognition Agreements and Formalized 
     Regulatory Cooperation Agreements in priority sectors of the 
     economy;
       (B) establishing a forum for discussing and evaluating 
     technical and other assistance needs to help establish 
     streamlined ``single window'' processes to facilitate 
     movement of goods and common customs arrangements and 
     procedures to lower costs of goods in transit and speed to 
     destination;
       (C) building relationships and exchanges between relevant 
     regulatory bodies in the United States and democratic 
     partners in the Western Hemisphere to promote best practices 
     and transparency in rulemaking, implementation, and 
     enforcement, and provide training and assistance to help 
     improve supply chain management in the Western Hemisphere;
       (D) establishing regional fora for identifying, raising, 
     and addressing supply chain management issues, including 
     infrastructure needs and strengthening of investment rules 
     and regulatory frameworks;
       (E) establishing a dedicated program of trade missions and 
     reverse trade missions to increase commercial contacts and 
     ties between the United States and Western Hemisphere partner 
     countries; and
       (F) strengthening labor and environmental standards in the 
     region;
       (2) establish frameworks or mechanisms to review and 
     address the long-term financial sustainability and national 
     security implications of foreign investments in strategic 
     sectors or services;
       (3) establish competitive and transparent infrastructure 
     project selection and procurement processes that promote 
     transparency, open competition, financial sustainability, and 
     robust adherence to global standards and norms; and
       (4) advance robust and comprehensive energy production and 
     integration, including through a more open, transparent, and 
     competitive environment for United States companies competing 
     in the Western Hemisphere, including by--
       (A) facilitating further development of integrated regional 
     energy markets;
       (B) improving management of grids, including technical 
     capability to ensure the functionality, safe and responsible 
     management, and quality of service of electricity providers, 
     carriers, and management and distribution systems;
       (C) facilitating private sector-led development of reliable 
     and affordable power generation capacity;
       (D) establishing a process for surveying grid capacity and 
     management focused on identifying electricity service 
     efficiencies and establishing cooperative mechanisms for 
     providing technical assistance for--
       (i) grid management, power pricing, and tariff issues;
       (ii) establishing and maintaining appropriate regulatory 
     best practices; and
       (iii) proposals to establish regional power grids for the 
     purpose of promoting the sale of excess supply to consumers 
     across borders;
       (E) assessing the viability and effectiveness of 
     decentralizing power production and transmission and building 
     micro-grid power networks to improve, when feasible, access 
     to electricity, particularly in rural and underserved 
     communities where centralized power grid connections may not 
     be feasible in the short to medium term; and
       (F) exploring opportunities to partner with the private 
     sector and multilateral institutions, such as the World Bank 
     and the Inter-American Development Bank, to promote universal 
     access to reliable and affordable electricity in the Western 
     Hemisphere.

     SEC. __. PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY AND DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN 
                   THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     the United States should support efforts to strengthen the 
     capacity and legitimacy of democratic institutions and 
     inclusive processes in the Western Hemisphere to promote a 
     more transparent, democratic, and prosperous region.
       (b) In General.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
     with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
     International Development and heads of other relevant Federal 
     agencies, should support transparent, accountable, and 
     democratic governance in the Western Hemisphere through 
     collaborative efforts with democratic partners that--
       (1) strengthen the capacity of national electoral 
     institutions to ensure free, fair, and transparent electoral 
     processes, including through pre-election assessment 
     missions, technical assistance, and independent local and 
     international election monitoring and observation missions;
       (2) enhance the capabilities of democratically elected 
     national legislatures, parliamentary bodies, and autonomous 
     regulatory institutions to conduct oversight;
       (3) strengthen the capacity of subnational government 
     institutions to govern in a transparent, accountable, and 
     democratic manner, including through training and technical 
     assistance;
       (4) combat corruption at local and national levels, 
     including through trainings, cooperation agreements, 
     initiatives aimed at dismantling corrupt networks, and 
     political support for bilateral or multilateral 
     anticorruption mechanisms that strengthen attorneys general 
     and prosecutors' offices;
       (5) strengthen the capacity of civil society to conduct 
     oversight of government institutions, build the capacity of 
     independent professional journalism, facilitate substantive 
     dialogue with government and the private sector to generate 
     issue-based policies, and mobilize local resources to carry 
     out such activities;
       (6) promote the meaningful and significant participation of 
     women in democratic processes, including in national and 
     subnational government and civil society; and
       (7) support the creation of procedures for the Organization 
     of American States (OAS) to create an annual forum for 
     democratically elected national legislatures from OAS member 
     States to discuss issues of hemispheric importance, as 
     expressed in section 4 of the Organization of American States 
     Legislative Engagement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-343).

     SEC. __. INVESTMENT, TRADE, AND DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA AND 
                   LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.

       (a) Strategy Required.--
       (1) In general.--The President shall establish a 
     comprehensive United States strategy for public and private 
     investment, trade, and development in Africa and Latin 
     America and the Caribbean.
       (2) Focus of strategy.--The strategy required by paragraph 
     (1) shall focus on increasing exports of United States goods 
     and services to Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean by 
     200 percent in real dollar value by the date that is 10 years 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (3) Consultations.--In developing the strategy required by 
     paragraph (1), the President shall consult with--
       (A) Congress;
       (B) each agency that is a member of the Trade Promotion 
     Coordinating Committee;
       (C) the relevant multilateral development banks, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the 
     respective United States Executive Directors of such banks;
       (D) each agency that participates in the Trade Policy Staff 
     Committee established;
       (E) the President's Export Council;
       (F) each of the development agencies;
       (G) any other Federal agencies with responsibility for 
     export promotion or financing and development; and
       (H) the private sector, including businesses, 
     nongovernmental organizations, and African and Latin American 
     and Caribbean diaspora groups.
       (4) Submission to congress.--
       (A) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 
     Congress the strategy required by subsection (a).
       (B) Progress report.--Not later than 3 years after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the implementation of the strategy 
     required by paragraph (1).
       (b) Special Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean 
     Export Strategy Coordinators.--The President shall designate 
     an individual to serve as Special Africa Export Strategy 
     Coordinator and an individual to serve as Special Latin 
     America and the Caribbean Export Strategy Coordinator--
       (1) to oversee the development and implementation of the 
     strategy required by subsection (a); and
       (2) to coordinate developing and implementing the strategy 
     with--
       (A) the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee;
       (B) the Assistant United States Trade Representative for 
     African Affairs or the Assistant United States Trade 
     Representative for the Western Hemisphere, as appropriate;
       (C) the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs or 
     the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere 
     Affairs, as appropriate;
       (D) the Export-Import Bank of the United States;
       (E) the United States International Development Finance 
     Corporation; and
       (F) the development agencies.
       (c) Trade Missions to Africa and Latin America and the 
     Caribbean.--It is the sense of Congress that, not later than 
     one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Secretary of Commerce and other high-level officials of the 
     United States Government with responsibility for export 
     promotion, financing, and development should conduct joint 
     trade missions to Africa and to Latin America and the 
     Caribbean.
       (d) Training.--The President shall develop a plan--
       (1) to standardize the training received by United States 
     and Foreign Commercial Service officers, economic officers of 
     the Department of State, and economic officers of the United 
     States Agency for International Development with respect to 
     the programs and procedures of the Export-Import Bank of the 
     United States, the United States International Development 
     Finance Corporation, the Small Business Administration, and 
     the United States Trade and Development Agency; and
       (2) to ensure that, not later than one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act--
       (A) all United States and Foreign Commercial Service 
     officers that are stationed overseas receive the training 
     described in paragraph (1); and
       (B) in the case of a country to which no United States and 
     Foreign Commercial Service officer is assigned, any economic 
     officer of the Department of State stationed in that country 
     receives that training.
       (e) Definitions.--In this section:

[[Page S2440]]

       (1) Development agencies.--The term ``development 
     agencies'' means the United States Department of State, the 
     United States Agency for International Development, the 
     Millennium Challenge Corporation, the United States 
     International Development Finance Corporation, the United 
     States Trade and Development Agency, the United States 
     Department of Agriculture, and relevant multilateral 
     development banks.
       (2) Multilateral development banks.--The term 
     ``multilateral development banks'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 1701(c)(4) of the International Financial 
     Institutions Act (22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(4)) and includes the 
     African Development Foundation.
       (3) Trade policy staff committee.--The term ``Trade Policy 
     Staff Committee'' means the Trade Policy Staff Committee 
     established pursuant to section 2002.2 of title 15, Code of 
     Federal Regulations.
       (4) Trade promotion coordinating committee.--The term 
     ``Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee'' means the Trade 
     Promotion Coordinating Committee established under section 
     2312 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 4727).
       (5) United states and foreign commercial service.--The term 
     ``United States and Foreign Commercial Service'' means the 
     United States and Foreign Commercial Service established by 
     section 2301 of the Export Enhancement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 
     4721).

     SEC. __. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON PRIORITIZING NOMINATION AND 
                   CONFIRMATION OF QUALIFIED AMBASSADORS.

       It is the sense of Congress that it is critically important 
     that both the President and the Senate play their respective 
     roles to nominate and confirm qualified ambassadors as 
     quickly as possible, especially for countries in the Western 
     Hemisphere.

     SEC. __. WESTERN HEMISPHERE DEFINED.

       In this subtitle, the term ``Western Hemisphere'' does not 
     include Cuba, Nicaragua, or Venezuela.

     SEC. __. REPORT ON EFFORTS TO CAPTURE AND DETAIN UNITED 
                   STATES CITIZENS AS HOSTAGES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 30 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 report on efforts by the Maduro regime of 
     Venezuela to detain United States citizens and lawful 
     permanent residents.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include, regarding the arrest, capture, detainment, and 
     imprisonment of United States citizens and lawful permanent 
     residents--
       (1) the names, positions, and institutional affiliation of 
     Venezuelan individuals, or those acting on their behalf, who 
     have engaged in such activities;
       (2) a description of any role played by transnational 
     criminal organizations, and an identification of such 
     organizations; and
       (3) where relevant, an assessment of whether and how United 
     States citizens and lawful permanent residents have been 
     lured to Venezuela.
       (c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
     be submitted in unclassified form, but shall include a 
     classified annex, which shall include a list of the total 
     number of United States citizens and lawful permanent 
     residents detained or imprisoned in Venezuela as of the date 
     on which the report is submitted.
                                 ______