Text of Senate Amendment 5927

On 2026-06-23, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 5927" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 5927

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3076-S3077] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 5927. Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself and Mr. Curtis) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her 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 title XII, add the following: Subtitle F--South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026 SEC. 1281. SHORT TITLE. This subtitle may be cited as the ``South China Sea Strategy Act of 2026''. SEC. 1282. UNITED STATES POLICY. It is the policy of the United States-- (1) to support the importance of the freedom of navigation, overflight, and unfettered commerce in the South China Sea, in a manner consistent with international law to preserve United States economic interests in the region; (2) to commit to a rules-based approach to resolving maritime disputes; (3) to counter efforts by the People's Republic of China (PRC) to unilaterally change the status quo and treat the South China Sea as its unilateral dominion, undermining regional stability and contravening the PRC's prior commitments to resolve disputes peacefully and through appropriate legal venues; and (4) to engage with allies and partners in a concerted, coordinated manner to support a strategic, consistent approach to diplomatic engagement on issues and crises that affect United States interests in the South China Sea, including to ensure the safety of United States citizens in the region. SEC. 1283. SOUTH CHINA SEA DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a Strategy for Diplomatic Engagement on the South China Sea to ensure that the United States Government is operating strategically to maximize our efficient engagement on South China Sea matters. (b) Elements.--The Strategy listed in subsection (a) shall-- (1) describe the overarching goals of United States engagement with allies and partners, including with littoral states, on security, diplomatic, legal, and economic matters in the South China Sea; (2) designate an office at the Department of State tasked with the lead responsibility for coordinating the execution of each goal described in paragraph (1); (3) analyze the successes of the Department of State's existing mechanisms, programs, and forums for advancing United States goals in the South China Sea through bilateral, multilateral, subnational, civil society, and private sector avenues with allies and partners, including littoral states, and identify gaps in engagement; (4) detail plans to deepen bilateral engagement with each littoral state around pressures, threats, and opportunities in the South China Sea identified as priorities in previous bilateral engagements; (5) detail plans to convene and increase the frequency of collective engagements with littoral states, including Taiwan and additional [[Page S3077]] allies and partners as appropriate, around themes of shared importance, including-- (A) bolstering defense capabilities; (B) reinforcing maritime law enforcement capacity and governance; (C) responding to grey-zone tactics, including coordinated illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; (D) managing maritime territorial disputes to reduce the likelihood of security crises and conflicts; (E) preparing crisis management and response mechanisms to avoid unnecessary escalation; (F) building resilience to foreign malign influence and interference in the South China Sea; (G) supporting economic development and resilience to economic coercion from foreign adversaries; and (H) addressing additional factors assessed by the Secretary of State to be causing a direct risk to United States interests in the South China Sea; and (6) detail plans for coordination with the interagency and foreign governments to address crisis management for scenarios below the threshold of armed conflict that would require heightened interagency and international engagement. (c) Classification.--The strategy submitted under subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. SEC. 1284. STRATEGY EXECUTION. (a) Identification of Necessary Programs and Resources.-- Not later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall identify and submit to the appropriate congressional committees any necessary program, policy, or budgetary resources required to support implementation of the Strategy for Diplomatic Engagement on the South China Sea for fiscal years 2027, 2028, and 2029. (b) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the submission of the assessment described in subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on the implementation of the Strategy for Diplomatic Engagement on the South China Sea. SEC. 1285. DEFINITIONS. In this subtitle: (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means-- (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (2) Littoral states.--The term ``littoral states'' means-- (A) Brunei; (B) Indonesia; (C) Malaysia; (D) the Philippines; and (E) Vietnam. SEC. 1286. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. (a) Rule of Construction Regarding Continued United States Policy Toward Taiwan and the Government of the PRC.--Nothing in this subtitle may be construed as a change to the One China Policy of the United States, which is guided by the Taiwan Relations Act (22 U.S.C. 3301 et seq.), the three United States-People's Republic of China Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances. ______