This bill establishes a pilot program for deploying economic response teams that provide emergency technical assistance and support to a partner country subjected to the threat or use of coercive economic measures by a U.S. adversary. These teams also play a liaison role between the legitimate government of a partner country and the U.S. government.
To deploy a team, the President must declare, and notify Congress of, a coercive economic emergency (i.e., an unusual and extraordinary economic coercive threat to a partner country made by a U.S. adversary). The initial deployment may last for up to 180 days; the President may extend a deployment by submitting to Congress a justification for the extension in the interest of national security.
The pilot program shall terminate on December 31, 2026.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2546 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2546
To provide for the development and implementation of economic defense
response teams.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2023
Mr. Case (for himself and Mrs. Kim of California) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the development and implementation of economic defense
response teams.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. ECONOMIC DEFENSE RESPONSE TEAMS.
(a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the Secretary of
State, shall develop and implement a pilot program for the creation of
deployable economic defense response teams to help provide emergency
technical assistance and support to a country subjected to the threat
or use of coercive economic measures and to play a liaison role between
the legitimate government of that country and the United States
Government. Such assistance and support may include the following
activities:
(1) Reducing the partner country's vulnerability to
coercive economic measures.
(2) Minimizing the damage that such measures by an
adversary could cause to that country.
(3) Implementing any bilateral or multilateral contingency
plans that may exist for responding to the threat or use of
such measures.
(4) In coordination with the partner country, developing or
improving plans and strategies by the country for reducing
vulnerabilities and improving responses to such measures in the
future.
(5) Assisting the partner country in dealing with foreign
sovereign investment in infrastructure or related projects that
may undermine the partner country's sovereignty.
(6) Assisting the partner country in responding to specific
efforts from an adversary attempting to employ economic
coercion that undermines the partner country's sovereignty,
including efforts in the cyber domain, such as efforts that
undermine cybersecurity or digital security of the partner
country or initiatives that introduce digital technologies in a
manner that undermines freedom, security, and sovereignty of
the partner country.
(7) Otherwise providing direct and relevant short-to-medium
term economic or other assistance from the United States and
marshalling other resources in support of effective responses
to such measures.
(b) Institutional Support.--The pilot program required by
subsection (a) should include the following elements:
(1) Identification and designation of relevant personnel
within the United States Government with expertise relevant to
the objectives specified in subsection (a), including personnel
in--
(A) the Department of State, for overseeing the
economic defense response team's activities, engaging
with the partner country government and other
stakeholders, and other purposes relevant to advancing
the success of the mission of the economic defense
response team;
(B) the United States Agency for International
Development, for the purposes of providing technical,
humanitarian, and other assistance, generally;
(C) the Department of the Treasury, for the
purposes of providing advisory support and assistance
on all financial matters and fiscal implications of the
crisis at hand;
(D) the Department of Commerce, for the purposes of
providing economic analysis and assistance in market
development relevant to the partner country's response
to the crisis at hand, technology security as
appropriate, and other matters that may be relevant;
(E) the Department of Energy, for the purposes of
providing advisory services and technical assistance
with respect to energy needs as affected by the crisis
at hand;
(F) the Department of Homeland Security, for the
purposes of providing assistance with respect to
digital and cybersecurity matters, and assisting in the
development of any contingency plans referred to in
paragraphs (3) and (6) of subsection (a) as
appropriate;
(G) the Department of Agriculture, for providing
advisory and other assistance with respect to
responding to coercive measures such as arbitrary
market closures that affect the partner country's
agricultural sector;
(H) the Office of the United States Trade
Representative with respect to providing support and
guidance on trade and investment matters; and
(I) other Federal departments and agencies as
determined by the President.
(2) Negotiation of memoranda of understanding, where
appropriate, with other United States Government components for
the provision of any relevant participating or detailed non-
Department of State personnel identified under paragraph (1).
(3) Negotiation of contracts, as appropriate, with private
sector representatives or other individuals with relevant
expertise to advance the objectives specified in subsection
(a).
(4) Development within the United States Government of--
(A) appropriate training curricula for relevant
experts identified under paragraph (1) and for United
States diplomatic personnel in a country actually or
potentially threatened by coercive economic measures;
(B) operational procedures and appropriate
protocols for the rapid assembly of such experts into
one or more teams for deployment to a country actually
or potentially threatened by coercive economic
measures; and
(C) procedures for ensuring appropriate support for
such teams when serving in a country actually or
potentially threatened by coercive economic measures,
including, as applicable, logistical assistance, office
space, information support, and communications.
(5) Negotiation with relevant potential host countries of
procedures and methods for ensuring the rapid and effective
deployment of such teams, and the establishment of appropriate
liaison relationships with local public and private sector
officials and entities.
(c) Reports Required.--
(1) Report on establishment.--Upon establishment of the
pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary of
State shall provide the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives with a detailed report and briefing describing
the pilot program, the major elements of the program, the
personnel and institutions involved, and the degree to which
the program incorporates the elements described in subsection
(a).
(2) Follow-up report.--Not later than one year after the
report required by paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall
provide the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives with a detailed report and briefing describing
the operations over the previous year of the pilot program
established pursuant to subsection (a), as well as the
Secretary's assessment of its performance and suitability for
becoming a permanent program.
(3) Form.--Each report required under this subsection shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
(d) Declaration of an Economic Crisis Required.--
(1) Notification.--The President may activate an economic
defense response team for a period of 180 days under the
authorities of this section to assist a partner country in
responding to an unusual and extraordinary economic coercive
threat by an adversary of the United States upon the
declaration of a coercive economic emergency, together with
notification to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of
Representatives.
(2) Extension authority.--The President may activate the
response team for an additional 180 days upon the submission of
a detailed analysis to the committees described in paragraph
(1) justifying why the continued deployment of the economic
defense response team in response to the economic emergency is
in the national security interest of the United States.
(e) Sunset.--The authorities provided under this section shall
expire on December 31, 2026.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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