I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8153 
To support diplomatic and development resourcing to the Indo-Pacific, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2022 
Mr. BERA (for himself and Mr. CHABOT) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To support diplomatic and development resourcing to the 
Indo-Pacific, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Indo-Pacific Engage-
ment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The Indo-Pacific region is home to some 60 
percent of the world’s population. 
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(2) The Indo-Pacific region contains some of 
the most dynamic and rapidly growing economies in 
the world. 
(3) A free and open Indo-Pacific is essential to 
American security and prosperity in the 21st cen-
tury. 
(4) The United States has made significant 
commitments of diplomatic and foreign assistance 
resources to the region over the past century, which 
have supported shared growth and prosperity. 
(5) A sustained and enhanced commitment is 
required to advance American interests in the 21st 
century. 
(6) Historically, independent cost assessments 
have served as effective tools to enhance public de-
bate over resource allocation and have helped Con-
gress make more informed decisions. 
(7) The importance and urgency of enhancing 
U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific is such that 
similar tools are required to ensure a proper level of 
engagement with the region. 
SEC. 3. REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—At the same time as the submis-
sion of the budget of the President (submitted to Congress 
pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code) 
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for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028, the Assistant 
Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pa-
cific Affairs, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary 
of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Af-
fairs, and Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Asia 
of the United States Agency for International Develop-
ment (USAID), shall submit to the congressional foreign 
affairs committees a report assessing the resources and 
activities required to achieve the policy objectives de-
scribed in subsection (c). 
(b) CRITERIA.—The report required in subsection (a) 
shall be developed in accordance with the following cri-
teria: 
(1) It shall reflect the objective, autonomous, 
and independent assessment of the activities, re-
sources, and costs required to achieve objectives de-
tailed in subsection (c) by the principals, the subor-
dinate and parallel offices providing input into the 
assessment, and ultimately by the Assistant Sec-
retary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs as 
the final decision-making authority on the contents 
of the final report. 
(2) It shall cover a period of five fiscal years, 
beginning with the fiscal year following the fiscal 
year in which the report is submitted. 
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(3) It shall incorporate input from U.S. Ambas-
sadors in the Indo-Pacific region provided explicitly 
for the required report. 
(4) It may include information gathered 
through consultation with program offices and sub-
ject matter experts in relevant functional bureaus, as 
deemed necessary by the principals. 
(5) It shall not be subject to fiscal guidance or 
global strategic tradeoffs associated with the annual 
President’s budget request. 
(c) POLICY OBJECTIVES.—The report required in 
subsection (a) shall assess the activities and resources re-
quired to achieve the following policy objectives: 
(1) Implement the Interim National Security 
Strategic Guidance, or the most recent National Se-
curity Strategy, with respect to the Indo-Pacific re-
gion. 
(2) Implement the 2022 Indo-Pacific Strategy, 
or successor documents, that set forth the U.S. Gov-
ernment strategy toward the Indo-Pacific region. 
(3) Implement the State-USAID Joint Stra-
tegic Plan with respect to the Indo-Pacific region. 
(4) Enhance meaningful diplomatic and eco-
nomic relations with allies and partners in the Indo- 
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Pacific and demonstrate an enduring U.S. commit-
ment to the region. 
(5) Secure and advance U.S. national interests 
in the Indo-Pacific, including through countering the 
malign influence of the Government of the People’s 
Republic of China. 
(d) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) A description of the Bureaus’ bilateral and 
multilateral goals for the period covered in the re-
port that the principals deem necessary to accom-
plish the objectives outlined in subsection (c), 
disaggregated by country and forum. 
(2) A timeline with annual benchmarks for 
achieving the objectives described in subsection (c). 
(3) An assessment of the sufficiency of U.S. 
diplomatic personnel and facilities currently available 
in the Indo-Pacific region to achieve the objectives 
outlined in subsection (c), through consultation with 
U.S. embassies in the region. The assessment shall 
include: 
(A) A list, in priority order, of locations in 
the Indo-Pacific region that require additional 
diplomatic personnel or facilities. 
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(B) A description of locations where the 
United States may be able to collocate diplo-
matic personnel at allied or partner embassies 
and consulates. 
(C) A discussion of embassies or con-
sulates where diplomatic staff could be reduced 
within the Indo-Pacific region, where appro-
priate. 
(D) A detailed description of the fiscal and 
personnel resources required to fill gaps identi-
fied. 
(4) A detailed plan to expand U.S. diplomatic 
engagement and foreign assistance presence in the 
Pacific Island nations within the next five years, in-
cluding a description of ‘‘quick impact’’ programs 
that can be developed and implemented within the 
first fiscal year of the period covered in the report. 
(5) A discussion of the resources needed to en-
hance U.S. strategic messaging and spotlight coer-
cive PRC behavior. 
(6) A detailed description of the resources and 
policy tools needed to expand the United States abil-
ity to offer high-quality infrastructure projects in 
strategically significant parts of the Indo-Pacific re-
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