S.Amdt. 3345

SA 3345. Mr. CURTIS 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. STRENGTHENING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SUPPORT FOR
ECONOMIC AND SECURITY PARTNERSHIPS IN LATIN
AMERICA TO COUNTER BRICS INFLUENCE.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in
coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of
Commerce, and the Chief Executive Officer of the United
States International Development Finance Corporation, shall
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a strategy
to diminish the Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South
Africa economic alignment (BRICS) influence in Latin America
and secure United States strategic interests.
(b) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a)
shall include--
(1) identification of opportunities for Department of
Defense-led economic and security cooperation to support
United States investment in countries seeking alignment with
the United States, including Argentina and Chile;
(2) promoting security partnerships that enhance economic
stability and United States-aligned trade frameworks,
supported by Office of Strategic Capital-backed investments
in dollar-based financial systems;
(3) identification of opportunities for the acquisition or
development of strategic infrastructure by private or public
entities, including--
(A) key ports, transportation hubs, and energy facilities
in Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile that enhance United States
supply

[[Page S5107]]

chain security and reduce BRICS control over regional trade
routes;
(B) lithium mining and processing facilities in the Chile-
Argentina-Bolivia triangle, with the Office of Strategic
Capital assessing investment needs and the United States
International Development Finance Corporation providing
financing mechanisms to enable United States or allied
entities to acquire or develop these assets; and
(C) investment in other critical technologies and
infrastructure, prioritizing projects that enhance United
States strategic positioning in Latin America;
(4) the expansion of Department of Defense security
cooperation programs, including joint exercises and training,
to protect acquired infrastructure and build partner
capacity; and
(5) recommendations for Department of Defense support,
including security assessments, counterintelligence, and
infrastructure protection to safeguard acquired assets or
critical assets and infrastructure from foreign interference.
(c) Form.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall
be submitted in unclassified form but may include a
classified annex.
(d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence
of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
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