I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2176 

To authorize the establishment of an Asia-Pacific Defense Commission to 

enhance defense cooperation between the United States and allies in 

the Asia-Pacific region, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2017 

Mrs. MURPHY of Florida (for herself, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. GALLEGO, Ms. 

HANABUSA, Ms. BORDALLO, and Mr. CASTRO of Texas) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the establishment of an Asia-Pacific Defense 

Commission to enhance defense cooperation between the 

United States and allies in the Asia-Pacific region, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Asia-Pacific Defense 

5 Commission Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The United States has worked cooperatively 

4 with its allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region 

5 for decades on issues of mutual concern having re6 gional and global strategic and economic importance, 

7 including— 

8 (A) deterring and confronting external ag9 gression against allies and partners; 

10 (B) ensuring the free flow of energy and 

11 commerce, and freedom of navigation in inter12 national waters; 

13 (C) dismantling terrorist networks that 

14 threaten the safety of the region; 

15 (D) preventing the development, use, and 

16 proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; 

17 (E) adapting to climate change and severe 

18 weather events, including cooperation on hu19 manitarian assistance and disaster response; 

20 and 

21 (F) promoting respect for the international 

22 liberal order based on commonly respected 

23 norms and values. 

24 (2) The close security relationships between the 

25 United States and its five treaty allies in the Asia26 Pacific region—Australia, Japan, the Philippines, 


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1 South Korea and Thailand—as well as the security 

2 relationships between the United States and its non3 alliance security partners in the region remain vital 

4 to the United States national interest and a corner5 stone of regional stability. 

6 (3) The United States opposes North Korea’s 

7 illegal and reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons. 

8 (4) Countering North Korea’s destabilizing ac9 tivities in the region by diplomatic, economic, and 

10 defensive means is a top national security issue for 

11 the United States as the threat posed by North 

12 Korea endangers United States allies, threatens to 

13 destabilize the Asia-Pacific region, and if unchecked, 

14 poses a grave nuclear proliferation challenge to the 

15 world. 

16 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF ASIA-PACIFIC DEFENSE COM17 MISSION. 

18 (a) STATEMENT OF POLICY.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—It is the policy of the United 

20 States to continue to maintain a strong military pos21 ture in the Asia-Pacific region in order to reassure 

22 United States allies, deter aggression, and respond 

23 swiftly to crises. 

24 (2) ENHANCED MILITARY TRAINING AND EXER25 CISES.—The Secretary of Defense, in consultation 


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1 with the Secretary of State, shall seek opportunities 

2 to enhance military training and exercises with 

3 United States allies in the Asia-Pacific region to 

4 deepen cooperation between the militaries of the 

5 United States and such allies, to expand operational 

6 capabilities, and to encourage respect for human 

7 rights and the rule of law. 

8 (b) JOINT DEFENSE COMMISSION.—The President 

9 may establish a regional joint defense commission to be 

10 known as the Asia-Pacific Defense Commission. The pur11 pose of the commission shall be to strengthen cooperation 

12 between the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific 

13 region to combat joint threats. The commission may un14 dertake the following activities: 

15 (1) Strengthening counterterrorism operations 

16 and building capacity to track, investigate, and pros17 ecute individuals engaged in terrorist activities. 

18 (2) Improving regional maritime security and 

19 capabilities to interdict illegal arms shipments. 

20 (3) Bolstering regional cybersecurity initiatives 

21 and protecting critical infrastructure. 

22 (4) Strengthening military preparedness. 

23 (5) Facilitating defense-related transfers, sub24 ject to the requirements of the Arms Export Control 

25 Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.). 


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1 (6) Facilitating efforts to enhance training, pre2 paredness, and operations by allies to address North 

3 Korean maritime weapons transfers. 

4 (7) Coordinating intelligence collected by the in5 telligence services of the countries participating in 

6 the commission, identify the most immediate threats 

7 to inform the security services of such countries, and 

8 create guidelines for the coordination of multilateral 

9 direct action against shared threats. 

10 (c) ASIA-PACIFIC REGION.—In this section, the term 

11 ‘‘Asia-Pacific region’’ means the region corresponding to 

12 the area of responsibility of the United States Pacific 

13 Command, as defined by the Department of Defense uni14 fied command plan. 

15 (d) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con16 gress that the United States Navy should regularize free17 dom of navigation operations, in accordance with inter18 national law, in the Japanese-administered Senkaku Is19 lands, in the South China Sea, and in regular ports of 

20 call at strategic ports in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Æ 


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