S.Amdt. 717

SA 717. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed

[[Page S2849]]

by him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 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. 12___. UNITED STATES SPECIAL PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY FOR THE
ABRAHAM ACCORDS, NEGEV FORUM, AND RELATED
NORMALIZATION AGREEMENTS.

(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
Department of State the Office of the Special Presidential
Envoy for the Abraham Accords, Negev Forum, and Related
Integration and Normalization Fora and Agreements (referred
to in this section as the ``Regional Integration Office'').
(b) Leadership.--
(1) Special envoy.--The Regional Integration Office shall
be headed by the Special Presidential Envoy for the Abraham
Accords, Negev Forum, and Related Normalization Agreements
(referred to in this section as the ``Special Envoy''), who
shall--
(A) be appointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate; and
(B) report directly to the Secretary of State.
(2) Rank.--The Special Envoy shall have the rank and status
of ambassador.
(c) Limitation.--The Special Envoy shall not be a dual-
hatted official with other responsibilities within the
Department of State or the executive branch.
(d) Duties and Responsibilities.--The Special Envoy shall--
(1) lead diplomatic engagement--
(A) to strengthen and expand the Negev Forum, Abraham
Accords, and related normalization agreements with Israel,
including promoting initiatives that benefit the people of
key partners in regional integration or other regional actors
in order to encourage such expansion; and
(B) to support the work of regional integration;
(2) implement the policy of the United States to expand
normalization and support greater regional integration--
(A) within the Middle East and North Africa; and
(B) between the Middle East and North Africa and other key
regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, the Indo-Pacific
region, and beyond;
(3) work to deliver tangible economic and security benefits
for the citizens of Abraham Accords countries, Negev Forum
countries, and countries that are members of other related
normalization agreements;
(4) serve as the ministerial liaison for the United States
to the Negev Forum, and other emerging normalization and
integration fora, as necessary, and provide senior
representation at events, steering committee meetings, and
other relevant diplomatic engagements relating to the Negev
Forum or other regional integration bodies;
(5) coordinate all cross-agency engagements and strategies
in support of normalization efforts with other relevant
officials and agencies;
(6) ensure that the appropriate congressional committees
are regularly informed about the work of the Regional
Integration Office;
(7) initiate and advance negotiations on a framework for an
economic and security partnership with the Negev Forum
countries, other key partners in regional integration, and
other regional actors; and
(8) oppose efforts to delegitimize Israel and legal
barriers to normalization with Israel.
(e) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
whole-of-government resources should be harnessed to ensure
the successful performance by the Special Envoy of the duties
described in subsection (d).
(f) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter,
the Special Envoy shall submit to the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs
of the House of Representatives a report on actions taken by
all relevant Federal agencies--
(1) to strengthen and expand the Abraham Accords and the
work of the Negev Forum and future structures and
organizations; and
(2) towards the objectives of regional integration.
(g) Termination.--This section shall terminate on the date
that is 6 years after date of the enactment of this Act.
(h) Rule of Construction.--If, on the date of the enactment
of this Act, an individual has already been designated,
consistent with the requirements and responsibilities
described in subsections (b), (c), and (d) and section 1 of
the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C.
2651a), the requirements under subsection (b) shall be
considered to be satisfied with respect to such individual
until the date on which such individual no longer serves as
the Special Envoy.
______