[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 123 (Thursday, July 17, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S4486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2950. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2026 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 E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1265. REPORT ANALYZING THE FEASIBILITY OF ATTACHING 
                   CONSULAR OFFICERS TO COAST GUARD AND NAVY 
                   MISSIONS IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) Pacific Island countries, particularly the Freely 
     Associated States, include close United States partners that 
     are spread across highly strategic waters that are critical 
     to the national security interests of the United States;
       (2) it is in the national security interests of the United 
     States to maintain and strengthen relations with the 
     governments and citizens of Pacific Island countries; and
       (3) many citizens of Pacific Island countries face 
     difficulties in accessing United States consular services due 
     to--
       (A) the remote locations of the islands comprising such 
     countries, only a few of which host United States embassies; 
     and
       (B) infrequent flights to islands with United States 
     embassies, which makes applying for a United States visa and 
     other consular procedures difficult, expensive, and time 
     consuming.
       (b) Defined Term.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
     committees of Congress'' means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (3) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
       (4) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate;
       (5) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (6) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (7) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (8) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in 
     coordination with the Commandant of the United States Coast 
     Guard, the Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, 
     and the Chief of Naval Operations, shall submit a report to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress that analyzes the 
     feasibility of attaching Department of State consular 
     officers to Coast Guard and Navy missions in Pacific Island 
     countries.
       (2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include--
       (A) an assessment of--
       (i) the current demand for consular services from citizens 
     of Pacific Island countries;
       (ii) the challenges such citizens face in obtaining 
     consular services;
       (B) an assessment of the approximate time and resources 
     citizens of Pacific Island countries that do not host United 
     States embassies would save by having their United States 
     visas adjudicated or receiving other consular services 
     through the initiative described in paragraph (1);
       (C) an assessment of the cost that would be incurred by the 
     Department of State, the United States Coast Guard, the 
     United States Indo-Pacific Command, and the United States 
     Navy through the implementation of such initiative, including 
     potential alternative cost-effective options and 
     recommendations for providing efficient consular services to 
     Pacific Island countries;
       (D) an assessment of the frequency and duration of United 
     States Coast Guard and United States Navy deployments to 
     Pacific Island countries, including--
       (i) deployment frequency measured against the desired 
     number of visits;
       (ii) the amount of time typically spent in port for such 
     visits; and
       (iii) disruption to planned Coast Guard and Navy missions 
     in order to visit locations needing consular assistance; and
       (E) an evaluation of the logistical issues needing to be 
     addressed to implement the initiative, including--
       (i) analyzing spacing requirements to host Department of 
     State personnel and equipment aboard Coast Guard and Navy 
     vessels;
       (ii) analyzing the information technology and connectivity 
     requirements to conduct consular affairs activities;
       (iii) the feasibility of printing visas aboard Coast Guard 
     and Navy vessels or alternatives to such printing, including 
     remote printing and mailing of passports with visas;
       (iv) maintaining the physical security of consular officers 
     and relevant adjudication equipment, including computer 
     systems and visa foils, during such missions;
       (v) the impacts to Coast Guard and Navy vessels' operations 
     and security; and
       (vi) the estimated time consular officers would spend on 
     board Coast Guard and Navy vessels between visits to Pacific 
     Island countries.
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