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Congressional Daily Record
This section is about changes proposed to a bill or resolution. It mentions committees such as Committee on Foreign Affairs, members such as Catherine Marie Cortez Masto.
Issued
June 24, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextSA 6427. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Ms. Ernst) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 F—Pacific Partnership Act
SEC. 1281. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the “Pacific Partnership
Act”.
SEC. 1282. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress as follows:
(1) The United States has longstanding and enduring
cultural, historic, economic, strategic, and people-to-people
connections with the Pacific Islands, based on shared values,
cultural histories, common interests, and a commitment to
fostering mutual understanding and cooperation.
(2) Successive United States administrations have
recognized the critical importance of the Pacific Islands, to
the world in high-level strategic documents, including the—
(A) 2015 National Security Strategy, which first declared
the rebalance to Asia and the Pacific, affirmed the United
States as a Pacific nation, and paved the way for subsequent
United States engagement with the Pacific Islands;
(B) 2017 National Security Strategy, which includes a
commitment to “shore up fragile partner states in the
Pacific Islands region to reduce their vulnerability to
economic fluctuations and natural disasters”;
(C) 2019 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, which identified the
Pacific Islands as “critical to United States strategy
because of our shared values, interests, and commitments”;
(D) 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy Report, which recognized the
need to engage further with the Pacific Islands on shared
security goals; and
(E) 2022 Strategy for Pacific Partnership, which outlined
goals and methods for deepening the United States
partnerships with Pacific Island nations.
(3) The United States Government should further develop,
expand, and support a comprehensive and multifaceted United
States policy for the Pacific Islands that—
(A) promotes peace, security, and prosperity for all
countries that respects the sovereignty and political
independence of all nations;
(B) preserves the Pacific Ocean as a corridor for
international maritime economic opportunities and growth and
promotes sustainable development;
(C) supports regional efforts to address shared challenges,
including by strengthening resilience to natural disasters
and stewardship of natural resources; and
(D) strengthens democratic governance and the rule of law,
and promotes internationally recognized human rights and the
preservation of the region's cultural heritages.
(4) The United States should collaborate closely with
existing regional multilateral institutions and frameworks,
such as the Pacific Islands Forum and the Pacific Community.
(5) The United States should work closely with United
States allies and partners with existing relationships and
interests in the Pacific Islands, such as Australia, Japan,
South Korea, New Zealand, and Taiwan, and regional
institutions like the Pacific Islands Forum.
SEC. 1283. STRATEGY FOR PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP.
(a) In General.—Not later than January 1, 2026, and again
not later than January 1, 2030, the President, in
coordination with the Secretary of State, shall develop and
submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy
entitled the “Strategy for Pacific Partnership” (in this
section referred to as the “Strategy”).
(b) Matters To Be Included.—The Strategy shall include
each of the following:
(1) A description of overarching goals for United States
engagement in the Pacific Islands region, including United
States diplomatic posts, defense posture, and economic
engagement.
(2) An assessment of threats and pressures to the Pacific
Islands region including those caused by factors such as—
(A) natural disasters;
(B) illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing;
(C) non-United States military presence and activity;
(D) developmental challenges;
(E) economic coercion and corruption; and
(F) other factors assessed to be causing a direct risk to
the United States national interests in the Pacific Islands.
(3) A plan to address the threats assessed pursuant to
paragraph (2).
(4) A plan for the resources necessary for the United
States to meet its goals in the Pacific Islands region.
(5) Mechanisms, including existing forums, for coordinating
and cooperating on shared goals among the following, as
appropriate:
(A) the governments of Pacific Island countries;
(B) regional partners in the Pacific Islands region,
including multilateral forums and organizations, such as the
Pacific Islands Forum;
(C) civil society in the Pacific Islands; and
(D) United States subnational governments in the Pacific.
(c) Consultation.—In developing the Strategy, the
President should consult, as appropriate, with—
(1) relevant United States governmental agencies;
(2) regional organizations, such as the Pacific Islands
Forum, the Pacific Islands Development Program, the Pacific
Community, the Forum Fisheries Agency, and the Secretariat of
the Pacific Regional Environment Programme;
(3) the governments of the countries in the Pacific
Islands;
(4) civil society stakeholders;
(5) United States allies and partners; and
(6) United States Pacific territories and States.
SEC. 1284. ALLIES AND PARTNERS IN THE PACIFIC ISLANDS REGION.
(a) In General.—The President, in consultation with the
Secretary of State, and the relevant heads of other Federal
departments and agencies, should consult and coordinate with
allies and partners in the Pacific Islands region, including
Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and regional
institutions, such as the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific
Islands Development Program, the Pacific Community and
Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme,
with respect to programs to provide assistance to the Pacific
Islands, including for purposes of—
(1) deconflicting programming;
(2) ensuring that any programming does not adversely affect
the absorptive capacity of the Pacific Islands;
(3) ensuring complementary programs benefit the Pacific
Islands to the maximum extent practicable; and
(4) ensuring that programming aligns with regional
development goals to promote a shared vision for the future
of the Pacific Islands.
(b) Formal Consultative Process.—The President should
establish a formal consultative process with such regional
allies and partners to coordinate with respect to such
programs and future-years programming.
SEC. 1285. REPORTING.
(a) Updates of Certain Reports.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the heads of other Federal departments and agencies as
appropriate, shall annually update the reports listed in
paragraph (2) to include within the scope of such reports a
regional discussion of transnational crime affecting the
Pacific Islands.
(2) Reports listed.—The reports listed in this paragraph
are the following:
(A) The International Narcotics Control Strategy report
required by section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2291h).
(B) The Improving International Fisheries Management report
required by section 607 of title VI of the Fisheries Act of
1995 (16 U.S.C. 1826h).
(C) The Trafficking in Persons report submitted under
section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
(22 U.S.C. 7107).
(b) Modification to Report on Indo-Pacific Region.—Section
5595(c) of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263; 136 Stat. 3393)
is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (1) and redesignating paragraph
(2) as paragraph (1);
(2) in paragraph (1), as so redesignated, by striking “the
2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, or successor documents,” and
inserting “any relevant guidance documents”; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (1), as so redesignated,
the following:
“(2) Implementing any relevant guidance documents that set
forth the United States Government strategy toward the
Pacific Islands region.”.
SEC. 1286. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.—The term
“appropriate congressional committees” means—
(A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(2) Pacific islands; pacific islands region.—The term
“Pacific Islands” and “Pacific Islands region” mean the
nations, territories, and other jurisdictions in the Pacific
Ocean within the broad groupings of Melanesia, Micronesia,
and Polynesia.