[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3117. Mr. CARDIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 F of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1291. ENHANCING RESILIENT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE 
                   PACIFIC ISLANDS.

       (a) Program.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of State, in coordination 
     with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and 
     agencies, as appropriate, shall develop and implement a 
     strategy for the expansion, improvement, and protection of 
     resilient critical infrastructure in the Pacific Islands.
       (2) Elements.--The strategy and related programming under 
     paragraph (1) shall--
       (A) consider the--
       (i) current and forecasted gaps in functionality of, and 
     threats to, critical infrastructure in the Pacific Islands, 
     including--

       (I) for disaster preparedness and response, transport 
     connectivity, operability of health systems, information and 
     communications technology, food security, coastal zone 
     management, marine and water resource management, and energy 
     security and access to electricity; and
       (II) to the extent practicable, the rates, severity and 
     drivers of deterioration, structural deficiencies, and most 
     pressing threats to public safety from aging, at-risk, and 
     failing infrastructure;

       (ii) United States national security risks posed by weak, 
     outdated, at-risk, and failing critical infrastructure in the 
     Pacific Islands, with particular consideration for the 
     interconnectedness of supply chains, interconnected 
     transportation networks, technology, communications, and 
     financial systems; and
       (iii) the policy-enabling environment for public and 
     private sector investment in critical infrastructure in the 
     Pacific Islands, including through local resource 
     mobilization, early stage project preparation, development 
     finance, and foreign direct investment;
       (B) seek to enhance the ability of Pacific Islanders, 
     including governments at the national and local levels, civil 
     society leaders, and private sector partners, to attract and 
     effectively manage public and private investment in critical 
     infrastructure while resisting predatory lending and resource 
     extraction deals by malign actors;
       (C) identify priorities for critical infrastructure 
     improvement, reinforcement, re-engineering, or replacement 
     based on the significance of such infrastructure to ensuring 
     public health, safety, and economic growth;
       (D) support investment and improvement in natural resource 
     management and conservation;
       (E) include recommendations for policy and governance 
     reforms in the Pacific Islands, as necessary and appropriate, 
     to strengthen critical infrastructure resilience; and
       (F) support trainings and information sharing, technology 
     exchanges, reverse trade missions, and pilot projects that 
     provide Pacific Islanders with access to proven, cost-
     effective solutions for mitigating the risks associated with 
     critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and related 
     interdependencies.
       (b) Coordination.--The program developed under this section 
     should be coordinated with like-minded allies, partners, and 
     regional and international organizations to encourage 
     alignment of efforts and to avoid duplicative investments and 
     programming.
       (c) Disaster Preparedness.--The Administrator of the United 
     States Agency for International Development, in consultation 
     with the relevant Federal departments and agencies with 
     technical and practical expertise, shall work with Pacific 
     Island countries to--
       (1) provide technical assistance, education, and training, 
     including through grants and cooperative agreements for 
     qualified United States and local nongovernmental 
     organizations, to enhance early warning systems, emergency 
     management and preparedness procedures, and post-disaster 
     relief and recovery; and
       (2) enhance coordination of existing disaster mitigation 
     and response plans in the Pacific Islands region, including 
     by United States allies and partners in the region.
       (d) International Financial Institutions.--The Secretary of 
     the Treasury shall direct the representatives of the United 
     States to the World Bank Group, the International Monetary 
     Fund, and the Asian Development Bank to use the voice and 
     vote of the United States to support sustainable, resilient, 
     and high quality infrastructure projects in the Pacific 
     Islands.
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