Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022
Bill: S.3589 | Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco (R-FL)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Western Hemisphere Security Strategy Act of 2022
This bill requires the Department of State and the Department of Defense (DOD) to implement a multiyear Western Hemisphere Security Strategy.
The strategy must include elements such as (1) a proposal for increasing U.S. bilateral and multilateral security assistance and cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, (2) activities to counter malign influence from state actors and transnational criminal organizations, (3) efforts to expand bilateral and multinational military training exercises with partner countries, (4) humanitarian assistance and disaster relief initiatives, (5) continued support for State Department programs to ensure the safety and rights of women and girls, and (6) a detailed assessment of the resources to carry out the strategy.
The State Department and DOD must jointly report the strategy to Congress and also provide periodic briefings on the strategy's implementation. The State Department must also report to Congress on efforts by the Maduro regime of Venezuela to detain U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The authorities provided under this bill shall terminate three years after this bill's enactment.

To require a United States security strategy for the Western 
                  Hemisphere, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Western Hemisphere Security 
Strategy Act of 2022''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    It is the sense of Congress that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the security, stability, prosperity, and state 
        of democratic governance in countries of the Western Hemisphere 
        are vital to the national interests of the United 
        States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the harmful and malign influence in Latin 
        America and the Caribbean of the Government of the People's 
        Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation 
        poses risks to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the people and countries of Latin 
                America and the Caribbean; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the national interests of the United 
                States;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the United States should expand its engagement 
        in the Western Hemisphere by--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) strengthening its alliances and 
                partnerships with countries in the Western 
                Hemisphere;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) fostering security cooperation among 
                countries in the Western Hemisphere to facilitate 
                trade, investment, training, and humanitarian 
                assistance in the near and long term; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) working with security and law 
                enforcement agencies in the Western Hemisphere--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) to address the shared 
                        challenges of--</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) narcotics trafficking, 
                                human trafficking, and other forms of 
                                illicit trafficking; and</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) transnational 
                                criminal organizations; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) to support the rule of law, 
                        democracy, and human rights in the 
                        region;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the United States should maintain credible 
        security capabilities dedicated to Latin America and the 
        Caribbean--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to build partner country 
                capacity;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to support the delivery of 
                humanitarian assistance and disaster relief;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) to deter acts of aggression; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) to respond, if necessary, to regional 
                threats and threats to the national security of the 
                United States; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) the Department of State and the Department of 
        Defense should continue to commit additional assets and 
        increase investments in the Western Hemisphere so as to 
        maintain robust United States security partnerships with 
        countries in the Western Hemisphere.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. SECURITY STRATEGY FOR THE WESTERN 
              HEMISPHERE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of 
Defense shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a multi-year strategy, to be known as the ``Western Hemisphere Security 
Strategy'', for purposes of enhancing diplomatic engagement and 
security assistance and cooperation, promoting regional security and 
stability, and advancing United States strategic interests in the 
Western Hemisphere.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) 
shall include the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) A proposal for increasing United States 
        bilateral and multilateral security assistance and cooperation 
        in Latin America and the Caribbean.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Activities to build the defense and security 
        capacity of partner countries in Latin America and the 
        Caribbean.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Activities to counter--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) malign influence by state actors; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) transnational criminal organizations 
                with connections to--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) illicit trafficking, including 
                        the illicit trafficking of narcotics and 
                        weapons; or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) terrorism.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Efforts to disrupt, degrade, and counter 
        transnational illicit trafficking, with an emphasis on illicit 
        narcotics and precursor chemicals that produce illicit 
        narcotics.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Activities to increase transparency in, and 
        support for, strong and accountable defense, security, and law 
        enforcement institutions through institutional capacity-
        building efforts, including efforts to ensure respect for 
        internationally recognized human rights and direction and 
        oversight by civilian authorities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Efforts to expand bilateral and multinational 
        military training exercises with partner countries in Latin 
        America and the Caribbean.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief 
        initiatives to support partner countries by promoting the 
        development and growth of responsive institutions through 
        activities such as--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the provision of appropriate 
                equipment, training, logistical support;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) transportation of humanitarian 
                supplies or personnel of foreign security 
                forces;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) making available, preparing, and 
                transferring on-hand nonlethal supplies, and providing 
                training on the use of such supplies, for humanitarian 
                or health purposes to respond to unforeseen 
                emergencies;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the provision of Department of State 
                humanitarian demining assistance; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) conducting medical support operations 
                and medical humanitarian missions, such as hospital 
                ship deployments and base-operating services, to the 
                extent required by the operation.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Continued support for the women, peace, and 
        security initiatives of the Department of State to support the 
        capacity of partner countries in the Western Hemisphere--
        </DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to ensure--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the safety and security of 
                        women and girls; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) that the rights of women and 
                        girls are protected; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to promote the meaningful 
                participation of women in the defense and security 
                sectors.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) Professional military education initiatives, 
        such as the Department of State's International Military and 
        Education Training program.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) A detailed assessment of the resources 
        required to carry out such strategy and a plan to be executed 
        not later than fiscal year 2023.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Implementation.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date on which the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy is 
        submitted under subsection (a), the Secretary of State and the 
        Secretary of Defense shall commence implementation of the 
        strategy.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date on which the implementation of the Western Hemisphere 
        Security Strategy commences, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly 
        provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on 
        the implementation of the strategy.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Termination.--The authority under this section 
        shall terminate on the date that is three years after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
        Committee on Armed Services of the Senate; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
        Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
        Representatives.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Western Hemisphere Security Strategy 
Act of 2022''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the security, stability, prosperity, and state of 
        democratic governance in countries of the Western Hemisphere 
        are vital to the national interests of the United States;
            (2) the harmful and malign influence in Latin America and 
        the Caribbean of the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China and the Government of the Russian Federation poses risks 
        to--
                    (A) the people and countries of Latin America and 
                the Caribbean; and
                    (B) the national interests of the United States;
            (3) the United States should expand its engagement in the 
        Western Hemisphere by--
                    (A) strengthening its alliances and partnerships 
                with countries in the Western Hemisphere;
                    (B) fostering security cooperation among countries 
                in the Western Hemisphere to facilitate trade, 
                investment, training, and humanitarian assistance in 
                the near and long term; and
                    (C) working with security and law enforcement 
                agencies in the Western Hemisphere--
                            (i) to address the shared challenges of--
                                    (I) narcotics trafficking, human 
                                trafficking, and other forms of illicit 
                                trafficking; and
                                    (II) transnational criminal 
                                organizations; and
                            (ii) to support the rule of law, democracy, 
                        and human rights in the region;
            (4) the United States should maintain credible security 
        capabilities dedicated to Latin America and the Caribbean--
                    (A) to build partner country capacity;
                    (B) to support the delivery of humanitarian 
                assistance and disaster relief;
                    (C) to deter acts of aggression; and
                    (D) to respond, if necessary, to regional threats 
                and threats to the national security of the United 
                States; and
            (5) the Department of State and the Department of Defense 
        should continue to commit additional assets and increase 
        investments in the Western Hemisphere so as to maintain robust 
        United States security partnerships with countries in the 
        Western Hemisphere.

SEC. 3. SECURITY STRATEGY FOR THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of 
Defense shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees of Congress 
a multi-year strategy, to be known as the ``Western Hemisphere Security 
Strategy'', for purposes of enhancing diplomatic engagement and 
security assistance and cooperation, promoting regional security and 
stability, and advancing United States strategic interests in the 
Western Hemisphere.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) A proposal for increasing United States bilateral and 
        multilateral security assistance and cooperation in Latin 
        America and the Caribbean.
            (2) Activities to build the defense and security capacity 
        of partner countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
            (3) Activities to counter--
                    (A) malign influence by state actors;
                    (B) transnational criminal organizations with 
                connections to--
                            (i) illicit trafficking, including the 
                        illicit trafficking of narcotics and weapons; 
                        or
                            (ii) terrorism; and
                    (C) corruption and kleptocracy in governments of 
                countries in the Western Hemisphere.
            (4) Efforts to disrupt, degrade, and counter transnational 
        illicit trafficking, with an emphasis on illicit narcotics and 
        precursor chemicals that produce illicit narcotics.
            (5) Activities to increase transparency in, and support 
        for, strong and accountable defense, security, and law 
        enforcement institutions through institutional capacity-
        building efforts, including efforts to ensure respect for 
        internationally recognized human rights and direction and 
        oversight by civilian authorities.
            (6) Programs and initiatives to enhance public diplomacy 
        and engagement with the people of the Western Hemisphere for 
        the purpose of demonstrating that the security of their 
        countries is enhanced to a greater extent if their countries 
        are aligned with the United States and democratic values rather 
        than with authoritarian countries such as the People's Republic 
        of China and the Russian Federation.
            (7) Efforts to expand bilateral and multinational military 
        training exercises with partner countries in Latin America and 
        the Caribbean.
            (8) Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief initiatives 
        to support partner countries by promoting the development and 
        growth of responsive institutions through activities such as--
                    (A) the provision of appropriate equipment, 
                training, logistical support;
                    (B) transportation of humanitarian supplies or 
                personnel of foreign security forces;
                    (C) making available, preparing, and transferring 
                on-hand nonlethal supplies, and providing training on 
                the use of such supplies, for humanitarian or health 
                purposes to respond to unforeseen emergencies;
                    (D) the provision of Department of State 
                humanitarian demining assistance; and
                    (E) conducting medical support operations and 
                medical humanitarian missions, such as hospital ship 
                deployments and base-operating services, to the extent 
                required by the operation.
            (9) Continued support for the women, peace, and security 
        initiatives of the Department of State to support the capacity 
        of partner countries in the Western Hemisphere--
                    (A) to ensure--
                            (i) the safety and security of women and 
                        girls; and
                            (ii) that the rights of women and girls are 
                        protected; and
                    (B) to promote the meaningful participation of 
                women in the defense and security sectors.
            (10) Professional military education initiatives, such as 
        the Department of State's International Military and Education 
        Training program.
            (11) A detailed assessment of the resources required to 
        carry out such strategy and a plan to be executed not later 
        than fiscal year 2023.
    (c) Implementation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
        which the Western Hemisphere Security Strategy is submitted 
        under subsection (a), the Secretary of State and the Secretary 
        of Defense shall commence implementation of the strategy.
            (2) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Security 
        Strategy commences, and every 180 days thereafter, the 
        Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall jointly 
        provide a briefing to the appropriate committees of Congress on 
        the implementation of the strategy.
            (3) Termination.--The authority under this section shall 
        terminate on the date that is three years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act.
    (d) 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.

SEC. 4. REPORT ON EFFORTS TO CAPTURE AND DETAIN UNITED STATES CITIZENS 
              AS HOSTAGES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on efforts by 
the Maduro regime of Venezuela to detain United States citizens and 
lawful permanent residents.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include, 
regarding the arrest, capture, detainment, and imprisonment of United 
States citizens and lawful permanent residents--
            (1) the names, positions, and institutional affiliation of 
        Venezuelan individuals, or those acting on their behalf, who 
        have engaged in such activities;
            (2) a description of any role played by transnational 
        criminal organizations, and an identification of such 
        organizations; and
            (3) where relevant, an assessment of whether and how United 
        States citizens and lawful permanent residents have been lured 
        to Venezuela.
    (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted 
in unclassified form, but shall include a classified annex, which shall 
include a list of the total number of United States citizens and lawful 
permanent residents detained or imprisoned in Venezuela as of the date 
on which the report is submitted.
                                                       Calendar No. 461

117th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 3589

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