Fully Funding our National Security Priorities Act

Bill: 118-s-4819
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA]
Introduced: 2024-07-29
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2024-07-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4819 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 29, 2024 Mr. Kaine (for himself and Mr. Young ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To require an annual report on the unfunded programs, activities, and mission requirements within the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fully Funding our National Security Priorities Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) A report issued by the Department of State in 2023 identified a $41,300,000,000 gap between the resources made available to the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development and the resources required to effectively counter the People's Republic of China in the Indo-Pacific region. (2) While the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development remain less than fully funded, the PRC has provided some $1,340,000,000,000 in grants and loans over the past 22 years. In October 2023, the PRC and President Xi announced an additional $100,000,000,000 for China’s development banks. (3) As competitors like the PRC and Russia expand their global diplomatic footprints, the Department of State today has, on average, a 13 percent staffing gap. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the United States is a beacon of democracy and freedom in an increasingly fraught world; (2) the Department of State, as a critical national security agency, remains chronically understaffed and underfunded at a time when geopolitical rivals, including the People’s Republic of China, are rapidly expanding their global diplomatic presences; and (3) it is imperative to empower the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development to ensure the United States can— (A) effectively advance the national security interests of the United States; (B) respond strategically to emerging technologies; and (C) respond with flexibility to metastasizing global threats. 4. Annual report (a) Defined term In this section, the term unfunded priority , with respect to a fiscal year, means a program, activity, or mission requirement of an element of the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development (referred to in this section as USAID ) that— (1) is not funded in the budget for such fiscal year submitted by the President to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code; (2) is necessary to fulfill a foreign policy or national security objective or to satisfy an information requirement associated with a goal or objective outlined in the Joint Strategic Plan agreed upon by the Department of State and USA/ID; and (3) would have been recommended for funding by the Secretary of State or the USAID Administrator if— (A) additional resources had been available for such budget to fund such program, activity, or mission requirement; or (B) the program, activity, or mission requirement has emerged since such budget was formulated. (b) In general Not later than 10 days after the date on which the budget for any fiscal year is submitted by the President to Congress, the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator shall each prepare and submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate , the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate , the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives , and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives the unfunded priorities of the programs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Administrator, as applicable. (c) Elements (1) In general Each report submitted to Congress pursuant to subsection (b) shall include, with respect to each unfunded priority covered by such report— (A) a summary description of such priority, including the objectives to be achieved if such priority is funded (whether in whole or in part); (B) the additional amount of funds recommended to be made available to achieve the objectives referred to in subparagraph (A); and (C) budget information with respect to such priority, including— (i) the appropriation account; (ii) the expenditure center; and (iii) the project and, if applicable, any subprojects. (2) Prioritization Each report submitted to Congress pursuant to subsection (b) shall present the unfunded priorities covered by such report in overall order of urgency of priority among unfunded priorities.