[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 125 (Thursday, July 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3464-S3465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 988. Ms. ERNST (for herself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Van 
Hollen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 
935 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Wicker)) 
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, insert the following:

  TITLE ___--CONNECTING OCEANIA'S NATIONS WITH VANGUARD EXERCISES AND 
                          NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT

     SEC. __01. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This title may be cited as the 
     ``Connecting Oceania's Nations with Vanguard Exercises and 
     National Empowerment'' or the ``CONVENE Act of 2023''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this 
     title is as follows:

  TITLE ___--CONNECTING OCEANIA'S NATIONS WITH VANGUARD EXERCISES AND 
                          NATIONAL EMPOWERMENT

Sec. __01. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. __02. Definitions.
Sec. __03. National security councils of specified countries.

     SEC. __02. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committees on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Congressional defense committees.--The term 
     ``congressional defense committees'' has the meaning given 
     such term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.
       (3) National security council.--The term ``national 
     security council'' means, with respect to a specified 
     country, an intergovernmental body under the jurisdiction of 
     the freely elected government of the specified country that 
     acts as the primary coordinating entity for security 
     cooperation, disaster response, and the activities described 
     section 6103(f).
       (4) Specified country.--The term ``specified country'' 
     means--
       (A) the Federated States of Micronesia;
       (B) the Republic of the Marshall Islands; and
       (C) the Republic of Palau.

     SEC. __03. NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCILS OF SPECIFIED COUNTRIES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of State, in consultation 
     with other relevant Federal departments and agencies, as 
     appropriate, may consult and engage with each specified 
     country to advise and provide assistance to a national 
     security council (including by developing a national security 
     council, if appropriate), or to identify a similar 
     coordinating body for national security matters, comprised of 
     citizens of the specified country--
       (1) that enables the specified country--
       (A) to better coordinate with the United States Government, 
     including the Armed Forces, as appropriate;
       (B) to increase cohesion on activities, including emergency 
     humanitarian response, law enforcement, and maritime security 
     activities; and
       (C) to provide trained professionals to serve as members of 
     the committees of the

[[Page S3465]]

     specified country established under the applicable Compact of 
     Free Association; and
       (2) for the purpose of enhancing resilience capabilities 
     and protecting the people, infrastructure, and territory of 
     the specified country from malign actions.
       (b) Composition.--The Secretary of State, respecting the 
     unique needs of each specified country, may seek to ensure 
     that the national security council, or other identified 
     coordinating body, of the specified country is composed of 
     sufficient staff and members to enable the activities 
     described in subsection (f).
       (c) Access to Sensitive Information.--The Secretary of 
     State, with the concurrence of the Director of National 
     Intelligence, may establish, as appropriate, for use by the 
     members and staff of the national security council, or other 
     identified coordinating body, of each specified country 
     standards and a process for vetting and sharing sensitive 
     information.
       (d) Standards for Equipment and Services.--The Secretary of 
     State may work with the national security council, or other 
     identified coordinating body, of each specified country to 
     ensure that--
       (1) the equipment and services used by the national 
     security council or other identified coordinating body are 
     compliant with security standards so as to minimize the risk 
     of cyberattacks or espionage;
       (2) the national security council or other identified 
     coordinating body takes all reasonable efforts not to procure 
     or use systems, equipment, or software that originates from 
     any entity identified under section 1260H of the William M. 
     (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283; 134 Stat. 3965; 10 
     U.S.C. 113 note); and
       (3) to the extent practicable, the equipment and services 
     used by the national security council or other identified 
     coordinating body are interoperable with the equipment and 
     services used by the national security councils, or other 
     identified coordinating bodies, of the other specified 
     countries.
       (e) Report on Implementation.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for two 
     years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
     committees of Congress a report that includes--
       (A) an assessment as to whether a national security council 
     or a similar formal coordinating body is helping or would 
     help achieve the objectives described in subsection (a) at 
     acceptable financial and opportunity cost;
       (B) a description of all actions taken by the United States 
     Government to assist in the identification or maintenance of 
     a national security council, or other identified coordinating 
     body, in each specified country;
       (C) with respect to each specified country, an assessment 
     as to whether--
       (i) the specified country has appropriately staffed its 
     national security council or other identified coordinating 
     body; and
       (ii) the extent to which the national security council, or 
     other identified coordinating body, of the specified country 
     is capable of carrying out the activities described in 
     subsection (f);
       (D) an assessment of--
       (i) any challenge to cooperation and coordination with the 
     national security council, or other identified coordinating 
     body, of any specified country;
       (ii) current efforts by the Secretary of State to 
     coordinate with the specified countries on the activities 
     described in subsection (f); and
       (iii) existing governmental entities within each specified 
     country that are capable of supporting such activities;
       (E) a description of any challenge with respect to--
       (i) the implementation of the national security council, or 
     other identified coordinating body, of any specified country; 
     and
       (ii) the implementation of subsections (a) through (d);
       (F) an assessment of any attempt or campaign by a malign 
     actor to influence the political, security, or economic 
     policy of a specified country, a member of a national 
     security council or other identified coordinating body, or an 
     immediate family member of such a member; and
       (G) any other matter the Secretary of State considers 
     relevant.
       (2) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) may be 
     submitted in unclassified form and may include a classified 
     annex.
       (f) Activities Described.--The activities described in this 
     subsection are the following:
       (1) Homeland security activities.--
       (A) Coordination of--
       (i) the prosecution and investigation of transnational 
     criminal enterprises;
       (ii) responses to national emergencies, such as natural 
     disasters;
       (iii) counterintelligence and counter-coercion responses to 
     foreign threats; and
       (iv) efforts to combat illegal, unreported, or unregulated 
     fishing.
       (B) Coordination with United States Government officials on 
     humanitarian response, military exercises, law enforcement, 
     and other issues of security concern.
       (C) Identification and development of an existing 
     governmental entity to support homeland defense and civil 
     support activities.
                                 ______