S.Amdt. 5873

1. Adds SEC. 1254. COOPERATION WITH THE QUAD at the end of subtitle D of title XII

   Adds a section

   In S.Amdt. 5499 as proposed

   (2) modifies or deletes in any way the content of the project as a result of any direction from any entity of the Government of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party.

   Inserted: SEC. 1254. COOPERATION WITH THE QUAD.

   Inserted: (a) Sense of Congress on Cooperation With the Quad.--It is the sense of Congress that--

   Inserted: (1) the United States should reaffirm our commitment to quadrilateral cooperation among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (the "Quad") to enhance and implement a shared vision to meet shared regional challenges and to promote a free, open, inclusive, resilient, and healthy Indo-Pacific that is characterized by democracy, rule of law, and market-driven economic growth, and is free from undue influence and coercion;

   Inserted: (2) the United States should seek to expand sustained dialogue and cooperation through the Quad with a range of partners to support the rule of law, freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, democratic values, and territorial integrity, and to uphold peace and prosperity and strengthen democratic resilience;

   Inserted: (3) the United States should seek to expand avenues of cooperation with the Quad, including more regular military-to-military dialogues, joint exercises, and coordinated policies related to shared interests such as protecting cyberspace and advancing maritime security;

   Inserted: (4) the pledge from the first-ever Quad leaders meeting on March 12, 2021, to respond to the economic and health impacts of COVID-19, including expanding safe, affordable, and effective vaccine production and equitable access, and to address shared challenges, including in cyberspace, critical technologies, counterterrorism, quality infrastructure investment, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as maritime domains, further advances the important cooperation among Quad nations that is so critical to the Indo-Pacific region;

   Inserted: (5) building upon their partnership to help finance 1,000,000,000 or more COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022 for use in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States International Development Finance Corporation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, including through partnerships with other multilateral development banks, should also venture to finance development and infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region that are sustainable and offer a viable alternative to the investments of the People's Republic of China in that region under the Belt and Road Initiative;

   Inserted: (6) in consultation with other Quad countries, the President should establish clear deliverables for the 3 new Quad Working Groups established on March 12, 2021, which are--

   Inserted: (A) the Quad Vaccine Experts Working Group;

   Inserted: (B) the Quad Climate Working Group; and

   Inserted: (C) the Quad Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group; and

   Inserted: (7) the formation of a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group could--

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   Inserted: (A) sustain and deepen engagement between senior officials of the Quad countries on a full spectrum of issues; and

   Inserted: (B) be modeled on the successful and long-standing bilateral intra-parliamentary groups between the United States and Mexico, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as other formal and informal parliamentary exchanges.

   Inserted: (b) Establishment of Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group.--

   Inserted: (1) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall seek to enter into negotiations with the Governments of Japan, Australia, and India (collectively, with the United States, known as the "Quad") with the goal of reaching a written agreement to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group for the purpose of acting on the recommendations of the Quad Working Groups described in section subsection (a)(6) and to facilitate closer cooperation on shared interests and values.

   Inserted: (2) United states group.--

   Inserted: (A) In general.--At such time as the governments of the Quad countries enter into a written agreement described in paragraph (1), there shall be established a United States Group, which shall represent the United States at the Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group.

   Inserted: (B) Membership.--

   Inserted: (i) In general.--The United States Group shall be comprised of not more than 24 Members of Congress.

   Inserted: (ii) Appointment.--Of the Members of Congress appointed to the United States Group under clause (i)--

   Inserted: (I) half shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, based on recommendations of the majority leader and minority leader of the Senate, from among Members of the Senate, not less than 4 of whom shall be members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate (unless the majority leader and minority leader determine otherwise); and

   Inserted: (II) half shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives from among Members of the House of Representatives, not less than 4 of whom shall be members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

   Inserted: (C) Meetings.--

   Inserted: (i) In general.--The United States Group shall seek to meet not less frequently than annually with representatives and appropriate staff of the legislatures of Japan, Australia, and India, and any other country invited by mutual agreement of the Quad countries.

   Inserted: (ii) Limitation.--A meeting described in clause (i) may be held--

   Inserted: (I) in the United States;

   Inserted: (II) in another Quad country during periods when Congress is not in session; or

   Inserted: (III) virtually.

   Inserted: (D) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--

   Inserted: (i) Senate delegation.--The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall designate the chairperson or vice chairperson of the delegation of the United States Group from the Senate from among members of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

   Inserted: (ii) House delegation.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate the chairperson or vice chairperson of the delegation of the United States Group from the House of Representatives from among members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

   Inserted: (E) Authorization of appropriations.--

   Inserted: (i) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2023 through 2026 for the United States Group.

   Inserted: (ii) Distribution of appropriations.--

   Inserted: (I) In general.--For each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made for the United States Group, half of the amount appropriated shall be available to the delegation from the Senate and half of the amount shall be available to the delegation from the House of Representatives.

   Inserted: (II) Method of distribution.--The amounts available to the delegations of the Senate and the House of Representatives under subclause (I) shall be disbursed on vouchers to be approved by the chairperson of the delegation from the Senate and the chairperson of the delegation from the House of Representatives, respectively.

   Inserted: (F) Private sources.--The United States Group may accept gifts or donations of services or property, subject to the review and approval, as appropriate, of the Committee on Ethics of the Senate and the Committee on Ethics of the House of Representatives.

   Inserted: (G) Certification of expenditures.--The certificate of the chairperson of the delegation from the Senate or the chairperson of the delegation from the House of Representatives of the United States Group shall be final and conclusive upon the accounting officers in the auditing of the accounts of the United States Group.

   Inserted: (H) Annual report.--The United States Group shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report for each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made for the United States Group, which shall include a description of its expenditures under such appropriation.

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle D of title XII, add the following:

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As printed