II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1605 

To amend the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 to authorize concurrent 

compacts for purposes of regional economic integration and cross-border 

collaborations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 18, 2015 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. COONS, and Mr. ISAKSON) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To amend the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 to authorize 

concurrent compacts for purposes of regional economic 

integration and cross-border collaborations, 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 ‘‘Millennium Compacts 

5 for Regional Economic Integration Act’’ or the ‘‘M–CORE 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Over the last 50 years, economies around 

2 the world have experienced significant and sustained 

3 growth that has been fueled by support to regional 

4 infrastructure and integrated trade agreements. 

5 (2) Unfortunately, many countries and their 

6 economies are isolated and will require greater sup7 port to benefit from regional integration of markets, 

8 infrastructure, and trade promotion-type policies. 

9 (3) By connecting isolated economies around 

10 the world, there exists the potential to increase in11 vestment opportunities and support market-based 

12 growth. 

13 (4) Developing countries, international organi14 zations, and regional economic bodies have increas15 ingly realized that key drivers to economic growth 

16 must involve greater cross-border collaboration and 

17 regional economic integration. 

18 (5) The Millennium Challenge Corporation 

19 (MCC) plays a unique role in economic development 

20 throughout the world and pursues its mission of re21 ducing poverty through economic growth by making 

22 time-bound grant investments through data selec23 tivity, country ownership, and a focus on results. 

24 (6) The MCC’s compacts have increased access 

25 to reliable power, built highway corridors, and imVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:19 Jun 20, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1605.IS S1605

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1 proved business climates, thereby promoting eco2 nomic growth and cross-border engagement within 

3 MCC partner countries. 

4 (7) The MCC’s extensive analysis has concluded 

5 that a regional approach to poverty reduction, under 

6 the right circumstances, can present opportunities to 

7 take advantage of higher rates of return on invest8 ment and larger scale reductions in poverty. 

9 (8) This increased flexibility would promote eco10 nomic growth and cross-border engagement between 

11 and among countries, creating larger and more com12 patible markets and enabling the United States pri13 vate sector to compete more effectively and partner 

14 with the host-country private sectors. 

15 (9) The MCC is developing new partnerships in 

16 Asia, including implementation of current compacts 

17 in Indonesia and the Philippines, new compacts for 

18 Mongolia and the Philippines, and MCC’s first-ever 

19 compact engagement in South Asia. 

20 (10) In Central America, the MCC’s work in 

21 road infrastructure could potentially have had an 

22 even greater impact had the roads connected across 

23 borders. 

24 (11) In Africa, neighboring countries could col25 laborate on a regional power pool, connect land 


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1 locked countries to transport, or address other pol2 icy, institutional, and logistical issues that hamper 

3 trade. 

4 (12) To make a coordinated regional investment 

5 across several countries work, the Board of Direc6 tors of the MCC would need to select a block of 

7 countries at the same time to coordinate project de8 velopment and compact signings, which is unreal9 istic, or be able to enter into a concurrent compact 

10 with one of those countries, for which it currently 

11 lacks authority. 

12 SEC. 3. PURPOSE. 

13 The purpose of this Act is to expand the Millennium 

14 Challenge Corporation’s ability to develop compacts with 

15 countries, particularly in Africa, that promote regional 

16 economic integration and cross-border collaborations. 

17 SEC. 4. MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE COMPACT. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 609 of the Millennium 

19 Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7708) is amended— 

20 (1) in subsection (k), by striking the first sen21 tence; and 

22 (2) by adding after subsection (k) the following 

23 new subsection: 

24 ‘‘(l) CONCURRENT COMPACTS.—An eligible country 

25 and the United States that have entered into and have 


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1 in effect a Compact under this section may enter into and 

2 have in effect at the same time not more than one addi3 tional Compact in accordance with the requirements of 

4 this title if— 

5 ‘‘(1) one or both of the Compacts are or will be 

6 for purposes of regional economic integration, in7 creased regional trade, or cross-border collabora8 tions; and 

9 ‘‘(2) the Board determines that the country is 

10 making considerable and demonstrable progress in 

11 implementing the terms of any existing Compacts 

12 and supplementary agreements thereto.’’. 

13 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub14 section (a) apply with respect to Compacts entered into 

15 between the United States and an eligible country under 

16 the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7701 

17 et seq.) before, on, or after the date of the enactment of 

18 this Act. 

19 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

20 613(b)(2)(A) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7712(b)(2)(A)) is 

21 amended by striking ‘‘the’’ before ‘‘Compact’’ and insert22 ing ‘‘any’’. 

Æ 


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