S.Amdt. 2769

SA 2769. Mr. HAGERTY (for himself and Mr. Kaine) 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 appropriate place in title XII, insert the
following:

SEC. __. MODERNIZING THE DEFENSE CAPABILITIES OF THE
PHILIPPINES.

(a) Use of Authorities.--The Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall use the
authorities under this section--
(1) to strengthen the United States-Philippines alliance;
and
(2) to support the acceleration of the modernization of the
defense capabilities of the Philippines.
(b) Purpose.--In addition to the purposes otherwise
authorized for Foreign Military Financing programs under the
Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), a purpose
of such programs shall be to provide assistance, including
equipment, training, and other support, to modernize the
defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines--
(1) to safeguard the territorial sovereignty of the
Philippines;
(2) to improve maritime domain awareness;
(3) to counter coercive military activities;
(4) to improve the military and civilian infrastructure and
capabilities necessary to prepare for regional contingencies;
and
(5) to strengthen cooperation between the United States and
the Philippines on counterterrorism-related efforts.
(c) Annual Spending Plan.--Not later than March 1, 2025,
and annually thereafter for a period of 5 years, the
Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of
Defense, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a plan describing how amounts authorized to be
appropriated pursuant to subsection (e), if made available,
would be used to achieve the purpose described in subsection
(b).
(d) Annual Report on Enhancing the United States-
Philippines Defense Relationship.--
(1) Report.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for a period
of 7 years, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the
Secretary of Defense, and in consultation with such other
heads of Federal departments and agencies as the Secretary of
State considers appropriate, shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that describes steps taken
to enhance the United States-Philippines defense
relationship.
(2) Matters to be included.--Each report required under
paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A) A description of the capabilities needed to modernize
the defense capabilities of the Philippines, including with
respect to--
(i) coastal defense;
(ii) long-range fires;
(iii) integrated air defenses;
(iv) maritime security;
(v) manned and unmanned aerial systems;
(vi) mechanized ground mobility vehicles;
(vii) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance;
(viii) defensive cybersecurity; and
(ix) any other defense capabilities that the Secretary of
State determines, including jointly with the Philippines, are
crucial to the defense of the Philippines.
(B) A description of additional statutory authorities and
funding levels required to provide support for and
cooperation with the Philippines on the capabilities
described in subparagraph (A).
(3) Form.--Each report required under paragraph (1) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a
classified annex.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to
amounts otherwise authorized to be appropriated for Foreign
Military Financing, there is authorized to be appropriated to
the Department of State for Foreign Military Financing grant
assistance for the Philippines $500,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2025 through 2030.
(f) Use of Funds.--Of the amounts authorized to be
appropriated pursuant to subsection (e), the Secretary of
State shall obligate and expend not less than $500,000 each
fiscal year for one or more blanket order agreements for
Foreign Military Financing training programs related to the
defense needs of the Philippines.
(g) Sunset Provision.--Assistance may not be provided under
this section after September 30, 2035.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Blanket order agreement.--The term ``blanket order
agreement'' means an agreement between a foreign customer and
the United State Government for a specific category of items
or services (including training) that--
(A) does not include a definitive list of items or
quantities; and
(B) specifies a dollar ceiling against which orders may be
placed.
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