PARTNER Act

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the PARTNER Act. This is a bipartisan bill, supported by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, that strengthens American diplomacy, science, and leadership in the world.

The PARTNER Act does something very simple but very important. It extends basic legal protections, known as privileges and immunities, to several key international organizations that the United States works closely with but that, until now, have lacked the same recognition that we give to other multilateral institutions.

Let me explain why this is very important.

These legal protections are not special favors. They are the standard tools that allow international organizations to do their work effectively and independently. They protect institutions from lawsuits, taxation, or other interference that could disrupt their missions, while still ensuring that individuals remain accountable for their own private actions.

They are reciprocal. Just as American diplomats and officials enjoy these protections when we serve in international organizations abroad, we extend them to our partners here in the United States. It is the basic infrastructure of diplomacy.

Why is this bill important right now?

First, our strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is central to U.S. engagement in Asia. Recognizing its diplomatic status here in the United States shows our commitment to the region's future and to working with our Asian partners on equal footing.

Second, the Western Hemisphere, of which we are a part, is obviously incredibly important to the United States. CARICOM, the Caribbean Community, plays a crucial role in democratic governance, regional security, and disaster preparedness. Extending privileges and immunities supports CARICOM as a unified voice for the Caribbean and strengthens U.S. ties to a region where influence should be felt through real and consistent engagement.

Third, science and technology leadership. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world's premier scientific organizations. It is partnering with United States researchers on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a $3 billion project based right here in United States. This is some of the most important and cutting-edge physics research in the world that will, hopefully, allow us to better understand the universe.

By extending privileges and immunities to CERN, we can speed up the timeline for this groundbreaking work, control costs, and ensure that American scientists remain at the forefront of the discovery.

Fourth, our Pacific and African partners. This bill authorizes the President to extend protections to the Pacific Islands Forum, a vital regional body in the South Pacific where small island nations are on the front lines of climate change and facing significant diplomatic overtures by China.

The bill fixes a gap in U.S. law by ensuring the African Union's observer

mission to the United Nations in New York receives the same recognition as the AU itself.

Taken together, these provisions make clear that the United States values our partnerships and will invest in multilateral cooperation that advances our interests and our American values.

Mr. Speaker, Congress has extended privileges and immunities before to the European Union, to the African Union, and, of course, to the United Nations and the Organization of American States. This bill simply applies the same standard to other organizations that the United States works with every single day.

At a time when our competitors are working overtime to expand their influence in Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Africa we cannot afford to sit back.

The PARTNER Act is a concrete step to strengthen U.S. leadership, deepen our alliances, and keep America the center of global diplomacy and science.

I thank all of my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, for their leadership and for their work on this bill. This bill has broad bipartisan support. It is good for American diplomacy, good for American science, and good for American leadership in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the PARTNER Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Foster).

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Castro and Representative Kim for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4490, the PARTNER Act. This legislation represents an important step forward in our country's ability to collaborate with our international partners. In particular, this legislation contains the text of our Strengthening Science Through Diplomacy Act which simplifies our scientific collaboration with CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

As a physicist, I spent more than two decades working with colleagues from around the globe at Fermilab in Illinois where international scientific collaboration allowed us to better understand each other and the universe that we are embedded in.

CERN already partners with several of our national laboratories, including Argonne National Lab and Fermi National Lab in the 11th District of Illinois that I represent.

In particular, this bill will allow for closer collaboration with CERN on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, also known as DUNE, an international flagship experiment.

DUNE will help us to discover more about the nature of subatomic particles known as neutrinos, which could help us understand fundamental questions about the origins of matter and the beginnings of the universe. It will also search for previously undetected modes of proton decay, the subject for which I received my Ph.D. thesis many moons ago.

This legislation will allow CERN to send its scientists who have been working on the DUNE project to assist in person as these experiments come online.

One of the most exciting things about the DUNE project is we don't know what it will discover. When we built our proton decay detector many moons ago, we did not know that 160,000 years ago a star blew up, one supernova, in the greater Magellanic cloud, and for 160,000 years the flash of light from that stellar explosion and the burst of neutrinos traveled toward the Earth. It arrived in 1987 when the astronomers saw the flash of light and we saw the burst of neutrinos in our underground detector, so we learned an incredible thing about these stellar explosions.

It is this sort of thing that brings you, me, and other young people into science. I thank Ranking Member Castro, as well as Representative Dusty Johnson of the great State of South Dakota, who worked with me over the last few years to ensure the success of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan effort is an important step in solidifying our partnership with CERN and maintaining our Nation's role as a leader in scientific research.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4490) to amend the International Organizations Immunities Act to extend diplomatic privileges and immunities to certain additional international and regional organizations, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which 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, I rise today in strong support of the PARTNER Act, a forward-looking measure that strengthens America's ties with the international organizations shaping the global order at a moment when international competition is sharper than ever.

This legislation gives our Nation the ability to fully engage with influential regional and international bodies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, the Pacific Islands Forum, the Caribbean Community, and the African Union by extending to them the same diplomatic privileges afforded under the International Organizations Immunities Act.

In doing so, we signal not only respect for their importance but also our determination to work alongside them as equal partners in tackling shared challenges.

From advancing security and prosperity to fostering innovation and confronting global health threats, these organizations are central to addressing pressing issues that do not stop at our borders.

If the United States is to lead effectively in this century, we cannot remain on the sidelines. We must be present in the rooms where decisions are being made, ready to cooperate and ready to lead. This bill ensures our diplomats and institutions are equipped to do exactly that.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the PARTNER Act and reaffirming America's commitment to principled and enduring international leadership.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim).

I have no more speakers, Mr. Speaker, and I continue to reserve the balance of my time until the gentleman yields back his time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representative Castro and Representative Kim, for introducing this important bill. I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Baumgartner, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4490, the PARTNER Act. This bill represents a bold and necessary commitment to strengthening America's engagement with our allies and partner organizations worldwide by granting tailored immunities and privileges.

Of note is the inclusion of provisions from the PARTNER Act with the ASEAN Act and the Pacific Partnership Act, which together elevate U.S. cooperation with our Indo-Pacific allies.

The Indo-Pacific is home to over one-half of the world's population, vital trade routes, and rapidly growing economies and markets. It is a region that I hold as a key priority as chair of the East Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee due to its significance to national security and economic prosperity.

Meanwhile, the region also faces significant challenges, including rising geopolitical tensions, maritime disputes, and growing coercion from bad actors seeking to undermine a rules-based order.

This bill is long overdue and sends a strong message that the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with our friends, including our Indo-Pacific partners, from the Philippines to Palau, to promote a free, open, and prosperous region.

This bill is not just about diplomatic immunities; it is about American leadership on the global stage.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to co-lead this bill with Representative Castro, and I urge my colleagues to support it.