Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations with ASEAN Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 406) to provide for the treatment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as an international organization for purposes of the International Organizations Immunities Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, is of immense strategic and economic importance to the United States of America.

This powerhouse region joins the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions and serves as a conduit for global trade. Southeast Asian states are increasingly vital to the prosperity of the U.S. economy, generating hundreds of thousands of American jobs and investing more in our economy than China and India combined.

Home to one of the world's largest and youngest populations and numerous key shipping routes, ASEAN represents the future of growth in the Indo-Pacific. It is an important region that cannot be forgotten and is certainly not forgotten by the People's Republic of China.

The PRC is actively looking for ways to expand their footprint in ASEAN, whether it be through infrastructure projects, predatory lending, or police training. A growing number of Southeast Asian countries no longer believe that China's intentions are benign. Our partners are seeking assurance of U.S. support as they try to maintain economic independence from China and defend their territorial claims in the South China Sea.

To strengthen our relationship with Southeast Asian Governments and counter PRC influence, we must find ways to deepen our relationship with the ASEAN.

The United States has worked closely with ASEAN for more than four decades, and 15 years ago, we became the first nonmember to name an ambassador to ASEAN.

This bill will build on that legacy of cooperation and will enhance ties between the United States and this critical region of the world. It will accord ASEAN representatives in the United States the same diplomatic immunities we provide other regional organizations, such as the EU or the Organization of American States. This is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to that organization.

I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro). I would also thank my good friend from California, Young Kim, for introducing this important bill. I have the great privilege of being co-chair and cofounder with Mr. Castro of the ASEAN Caucus.

I am very sorry that Mr. Castro is unable to join us on the floor today but want to convey our prayers and very best wishes for his full and speedy recovery, Mr. Speaker.

This bill received unanimous bipartisan support during committee markup and deserves our full support today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs.

Kim), my good friend and colleague, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific and is the Republican coauthor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, we have a national interest in sustaining U.S. leadership in Southeast Asia, supporting human rights and respect for democratic freedoms, and articulating our strategic priorities.

We will find willing partners in our many friends and allies in the region who share our grave concerns regarding China's growing power, but we must demonstrate that these partnerships are a key U.S. priority.

H.R. 406 sends an important message to the region: The United States values its important relationship with ASEAN, and we strongly support its mission to promote stability and growth in Southeast Asia.

I urge my colleagues to join me, Representative Young Kim, Representative Castro, and Ranking Member Meeks, along with Chairman McCaul, in supporting H.R. 406.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 406, the PARTNER with ASEAN Act, introduced by Mr. Castro and Mrs. Kim.

Of course, I join with Mrs. Wagner in wishing Mr. Castro a speedy recovery and return to this body very soon.

This legislation will solidify this body's strong bipartisan commitment to deepening our longstanding cooperation with Southeast Asia and facilitate stronger people-to-people ties with this vast, diverse region.

Southeast Asia is vital to the United States national interests and strategic priorities. The 10 Southeast Asian nations that comprise the important regional body of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, have an outsized role in shaping crucial political, economic, and security developments in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

The United States has long recognized ASEAN's central role in promoting peace, security, and stability in the region. This bill would allow us to deepen our collaboration and partnership on shared challenges.

H.R. 406 underscores the importance of the United States and ASEAN's partnership by authorizing that ASEAN be designated as an international organization with diplomatic privileges and immunities consistent with the International Organizations Immunities Act.

The IOIA, which was enacted in 1945, is how the United States extends the rights and treatment generally accorded to embassies of countries that have diplomatic relations with the United States to international organizations.

This is a long-overdue change that our partners in ASEAN and the Biden administration strongly support. With the passage of this legislation, the United States would affirm our longstanding relationship and upgrade our capacity to collaborate with ASEAN. Robust and consistent engagement with Southeast Asia is critical to realizing our Indo-Pacific strategy. This measure ensures that America remains a Pacific power and a critical player in Southeast Asia as we address the challenge of China.

We need to work collectively with ASEAN so that we can tackle shared challenges such as economic resiliency, global health, climate change, and attacks against the rules-based international order. Our partnership with ASEAN will be essential in delivering sustainable solutions to our combined 1 billion people.

Mr. Speaker, again, I urge all of my colleagues to support this strong, bipartisan bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 406 is a very important, bipartisan measure that affirms the importance of the United States and ASEAN's partnership by extending privileges and immunities under the International Organizations Immunities Act to ASEAN.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, I recall myself going to Cambodia to attend the session with ASEAN where they extended the opportunity for us to be official observers at their annual meetings and conferences.

This just emphasizes how the United States has long recognized and-- ASEAN also--appreciates our engagement with this diverse regional body and demonstrated strong support for ASEAN centrality. This measure demonstrates our commitment to this organization and pivotal region.

Mr. Speaker, there is no better way to honor over 45 years of the United States-ASEAN's relations and build upon our partnership than passing this important bipartisan legislation so they know that jointly the United States Congress recognizes the significance and importance of our partnership.

Again, I thank Mr. Castro--we want him back here soon--and Representative Young Kim for their hard work on this bill to send the appropriate message. I hope that all of my colleagues will join us in support of this very important bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Ann Wagner for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 406, the Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations, PARTNER, with ASEAN Act.

This is a bill that I introduced with my colleague, Representative Castro. I thank Ranking Member Meeks, and my colleague, and chairwoman of one of our committees, Ann Wagner, but more importantly, for her leadership on the ASEAN Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, much has been talked about with the importance of this legislation, but I think it is worth repeating that this bipartisan legislation extends the diplomatic privileges and immunities to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations under the International Organizations Immunities Act.

Similar international organizations such as the European Union, the Organization of American States, and the African Union currently enjoy these diplomatic privileges, but not ASEAN.

As chairwoman of the Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, I believe this legislation is a step in the right direction for improving America's standing in the Indo-Pacific and addressing the economic and security threats posed to the region by the CCP and their Belt and Road Initiative. To counter the Belt and Road Initiative, we must prioritize trade, economic, and diplomatic relations with Southeast Asian countries.

Without meaningful U.S. engagement and presence in the region, we will leave the region little choice but to turn to the CCP, whose conditions for these countries are erosion in democratic institutions and threats to their sovereignty.

This bill, while simple in scope, will signal to the region that the United States stands ready to engage in meaningful trade and have more discussions about security and human rights.

I thank my colleague, Representative Castro, coauthor of this bill, for his work on this legislation.

I join with my colleagues in saying that I am sorry that he could not be here to witness this legislation pass the House. I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to getting back to work with him once he returns to the House.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.