,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dfdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bg1     
#bjbb,mr4 ,ossoff 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,young1 ,mrs4 ,blackburn1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 
and ,ms4 ,hirono7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide for  
the establishment of ,united ,states    
embassies in the ,republic of ,vanuatu1 
the ,republic of ,kiribati1 and the     
,kingdom of ,tonga1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,pacific ,islands   
,embassies ,act4  #b4 ,findings         
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,the ,pacific ,islands are vital to
 ,united ,states national security and  
national interests in the ,indo-,pacific
 region and globally4  7#b7 ,the        
,pacific ,islands region spans #ae      
percent of the world's surface area and 
controls access to open waters in the   
,central ,pacific1 sea lanes to the     

,western ,hemisphere1 supply lines to   
,united ,states forward-deployed forces 
in ,east ,asia1 and economically        
important fisheries4  7#c7 ,the ,pacific
 ,islands region is home to the ,state  
of ,hawaii1 #aa ,united ,states         
territories1 ,united ,states ,naval     
,base ,guam1 and ,united ,states        
,andersen ,air ,force ,base4  7#d7      
,pacific ,island countries cooperate    
with the ,united ,states and ,united    
,states partners on maritime security   
and efforts to stop illegal1 unreported1
 and destructive fishing4  7#e7 ,the    
,pacific ,islands are rich in           
biodiversity and on the frontlines of   
sea level rise1 worsening tropical      
storms1 and coral reef loss associated  
with climate change4  7#f7 ,the         
,people's ,republic of ,china 7,,prc7   
seeks to increase its influence in the  
,pacific ,islands region1 including     
through infrastructure development under
 the ,,prc's ,belt and ,road ,initiative
 and its new security agreement with the

 ,solomon ,islands4  7#g7 ,the ,united  
,states ,embassy in ,papua ,new ,guinea 
manages the diplomatic affairs of the   
,united ,states to the ,republic of     
,vanuatu1 and the ,united ,states       
,embassy in ,fiji manages the diplomatic
 affairs of the ,united ,states to the  
,republic of ,kiribati and the ,kingdom 
of ,tonga4  7#h7 ,the ,united ,states   
requires a physical diplomatic presence 
in the ,republic of ,vanuatu1 the       
,republic of ,kiribati1 and the ,kingdom
 of ,tonga1 to ensure the physical and  
operation security of our efforts in    
those countries to deepen relations1    
protect ,united ,states national        
security1 and pursue ,united ,states    
national interests4  7#i7 ,increasing   
the number of ,united ,states embassies 
dedicated solely to a ,pacific ,island  
country demonstrates the ,united ,states
 ongoing commitment to the region and to
 the ,pacific ,island countries4  #c4   
,establishment of embassies  7a7        
,establishment of ,united ,states       

embassies in ,vanuatu1 ,kiribati1 and   
,tonga ,as soon as possible1 and not    
later than #b years after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,state shall establish    
physical ,united ,states embassies in   
the ,republic of ,vanuatu1 the ,republic
 of ,kiribati1 and the ,kingdom of      
,tonga and recommend to the ,president  
ambassadors to lead each of these #c    
embassies4  7b7 ,other strategies ,in   
establishing embassies pursuant to      
subsection 7a7 and creating the physical
 infrastructure to ensure the physical  
and operational safety of embassy       
personnel1 the ,secretary of ,state may 
pursue strategies such as renting or    
purchasing an existing building or      
colocation of embassies with like-minded
 partners like ,australia and ,new      
,zealand4  7c7 ,waiver authority ,the   
,president may waive the requirements   
under subsection 7a7 for a period of one
 year if the ,president determines and  
reports to ,congress in advance that    

such waiver is necessary to protect the 
national security interests of the      
,united ,states4  #d4 ,authorization of 
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated for the ,department of  
,state-- 7#a7 #dj1bjj1jjj for fiscal    
year #bjbc for embassy construction and 
maintenance of the #c embassies to be   
established pursuant to section #c2 and 
7#b7 #c1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbd to
 maintain the embassies4  #e4 ,report   
7a7 ,progress report ,not later than    
#ahj days following the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,state shall submit to the           
appropriate congressional committees a  
report that includes-- 7#a7 a           
description of the status of activities 
carried out to achieve the objectives   
described in this ,act2  7#b7 an        
estimate of when embassies will be fully
 established pursuant to section #c7;a72
 and  7#c7 an update on events in the   
,pacific ,islands region relevant to the
 establishment of ,united ,states       

embassies1 including activities by the  
,people's ,republic of ,china4  7b7     
,report on final disposition ,not later 
than #b years after the date of the     
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,state shall submit a report         
confirming the establishment of the #c  
embassies required under section #c7;a74
  7c7 ,appropriate congressional        
committees ,in this section1 the term   
appropriate congressional committees    
means-- 7#a7 the ,committee on ,foreign 
,relations and the ,committee on        
,appropriations of the ,senate2 and     
7#b7 the ,committee on ,foreign         
,relations and the ,committee on        
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives4