Text of Senate Amendment 6263

On 2026-06-24, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6263" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6263

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3420] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6263. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 D of title XII, add the following: SEC. 1252. INITIATIVE FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION WITH JAPAN AND THE PHILIPPINES. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish an initiative to enhance trilateral cooperation among the United States, Japan, and the Philippines (referred to in this section as the ``Initiative''). (b) Elements.--The Initiative shall address the following issues: (1) Maritime cooperation and information sharing. (2) Economic security. (3) Digital, cyber, and technology cooperation. (4) Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. (5) Any other matter the Secretary of State considers appropriate. (c) Designated Official.-- (1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall designate an employee of the Department of State to be responsible for the Initiative. (2) Additional roles.--The official designated under paragraph (1) may carry out additional roles within the Department of State. (d) Trilateral Working Group.--The Secretary of State shall seek to establish, within the United States Embassy in Manila, a trilateral working group to support the Initiative that includes representatives from the Government of the Philippines and the Embassy of Japan in Manila. (e) Congressional Engagement.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall-- (1) notify the appropriate committees of Congress of the official designated under subsection (c)(1); and (2) make such official available to provide briefings to Congress on plans to enhance trilateral cooperation under the Initiative. (f) Report.-- (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in coordination with head of any relevant Federal department or agency, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that-- (A) details the results of cooperation under the Initiative; (B) describes trilateral engagements and initiatives; and (C) explains any barriers to enhanced cooperation. (2) Form.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. (g) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means-- (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. ______