,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afje  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ah1     
#bjae ,mr4 ,cardin 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,flake1 ,mr4 ,coons1 and ,mr4 ,isakson7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,millennium       
,challenge ,act of #bjjc to authorize   
concurrent compacts for purposes of     
regional economic integration and       
cross-border collaborations1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,millennium   
,compacts for ,regional ,economic       
,integration ,act or the ,m-,,core ,act 
4  #b4 ,findings ,congress makes the    
following findings3 7#a7 ,over the last 
#ej years1 economies around the world   
have experienced significant and        
sustained growth that has been fueled by
 support to regional infrastructure and 
integrated trade agreements4  7#b7      
,unfortunately1 many countries and their

 economies are isolated and will require
 greater support to benefit from        
regional integration of markets1        
infrastructure1 and trade promotion-type
 policies4  7#c7 ,by connecting isolated
 economies around the world1 there      
exists the potential to increase        
investment opportunities and support    
market-based growth4  7#d7 ,developing  
countries1 international organizations1 
and regional economic bodies have       
increasingly realized that key drivers  
to economic growth must involve greater 
cross-border collaboration and regional 
economic integration4  7#e7 ,the        
,millennium ,challenge ,corporation     
7,,mcc7 plays a unique role in economic 
development throughout the world and    
pursues its mission of reducing poverty 
through economic growth by making       
time-bound grant investments through    
data selectivity1 country ownership1 and
 a focus on results4  7#f7 ,the ,,mcc's 
compacts have increased access to       
reliable power1 built highway corridors1

 and improved business climates1 thereby
 promoting economic growth and          
cross-border engagement within ,,mcc    
partner countries4  7#g7 ,the ,,mcc's   
extensive analysis has concluded that a 
regional approach to poverty reduction1 
under the right circumstances1 can      
present opportunities to take advantage 
of higher rates of return on investment 
and larger scale reductions in poverty4 
7#h7 ,this increased flexibility would  
promote economic growth and cross-border
 engagement between and among countries1
 creating larger and more compatible    
markets and enabling the ,united ,states
 private sector to compete more         
effectively and partner with the        
host-country private sectors4  7#i7 ,the
 ,,mcc is developing new partnerships in
 ,asia1 including implementation of     
current compacts in ,indonesia and the  
,philippines1 new compacts for ,mongolia
 and the ,philippines1 and ,,mcc's      
first-ever compact engagement in ,south 
,asia4  7#aj7 ,in ,central ,america1 the

 ,,mcc's work in road infrastructure    
could potentially have had an even      
greater impact had the roads connected  
across borders4  7#aa7 ,in ,africa1     
neighboring countries could collaborate 
on a regional power pool1 connect land  
locked countries to transport1 or       
address other policy1 institutional1 and
 logistical issues that hamper trade4   
7#ab7 ,to make a coordinated regional   
investment across several countries     
work1 the ,board of ,directors of the   
,,mcc would need to select a block of   
countries at the same time to coordinate
 project development and compact        
signings1 which is unrealistic1 or be   
able to enter into a concurrent compact 
with one of those countries1 for which  
it currently lacks authority4  #c4      
,purpose ,the purpose of this ,act is to
 expand the ,millennium ,challenge      
,corporation's ability to develop       
compacts with countries1 particularly in
 ,africa1 that promote regional economic
 integration and cross-border           

collaborations4  #d4 ,millennium        
challenge compact  7a7 ,in general      
,section #fji of the ,millennium        
,challenge ,act of #bjjc 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 
#ggjh7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection  
7k71 by striking the first sentence2 and
  7#b7 by adding after subsection 7k7   
the following new subsection3  7l7      
,concurrent compacts ,an eligible       
country and the ,united ,states that    
have entered into and have in effect a  
,compact under this section may enter   
into and have in effect at the same time
 not more than one additional ,compact  
in accordance with the requirements of  
this title if--  7#a7 one or both of the
 ,compacts are or will be for purposes  
of regional economic integration1       
increased regional trade1 or            
cross-border collaborations2 and  7#b7  
the ,board determines that the country  
is making considerable and demonstrable 
progress in implementing the terms of   
any existing ,compacts and supplementary
 agreements thereto4  4  7b7            

,applicability ,the amendments made by  
subsection 7a7 apply with respect to    
,compacts entered into between the      
,united ,states and an eligible country 
under the ,millennium ,challenge ,act of
 #bjjc 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ggja et seq47    
before1 on1 or after the date of the    
enactment of this ,act4  7c7 ,conforming
 amendment ,section #fac7;b77#b77;,a7 of
 such ,act 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4               
#ggab7;b77#b77;,a77 is amended by       
striking the before ,compact and        
inserting any4