Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to strengthen the United States commitment to the security of the Indo-Pacific region and to increase military readiness to defend the homeland and underwrite United States national interests, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Sense of Congress regarding Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative
Findings— Congress makes the following findings:
Section 1251 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91), as amended by section 1253 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232), authorized the Indo-Pacific Stability Initiative to enhance the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region and required the Department of Defense to provide a future years plan for the activities, capabilities, and resources necessary to—
increase the rotational and forward presence, improve capabilities, and enhance the posture of the United States Armed Forces in the Indo-Pacific region;
improve military and defense infrastructure, basing, logistics, and assured access in the Indo-Pacific region to enhance the responsiveness, survivability, and operational resilience;
enhance the storage and pre-positioning in the Indo-Pacific region of equipment and munitions; and
increase bilateral and multilateral military training and exercises with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The European Deterrence Initiative, announced in 2014 as the European Reassurance Initiative with a total amount of $21,800,000,000 in obligated funds and an additional $4,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, has enabled the United States to enhance the deterrence posture of the United States, increase the readiness and responsiveness of United States Armed Forces in Europe, support the collective defense and security of NATO allies, and bolster the security and capacity of allies and partners to address specific operational challenges vis-à-vis Russia.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that—
the security, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region is vital to the United States national interests and a coherent and strategic initiative, supported by congressional appropriations, is necessary to compete and deter adversaries in the region;
an initiative in the Indo-Pacific region that is similar to the European Deterrence Initiative is necessary to enhance United States presence and positioning, allow for additional exercises, improve infrastructure and logistics, and build allied and partner capacity to deter aggression, strengthen ally and partner interoperability, and demonstrate United States commitment to Indo-Pacific nations to address specific operational challenges in the Pacific, especially vis-à-vis China;
the Department of Defense should carry out such an initiative, as authorized by Congress under section 1251 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115–91), as amended by section 1253 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115–232), to implement the National Defense Strategy that aims to defend and defeat against strategic competitors and increase presence, enhance prepositioning, improve infrastructure, increase exercises and training, and strengthen ally and partner capability;
the Indo-Pacific Command’s independent assessment to Congress outlining the resourcing requirements to Regain the Advantage establishes the linkages between the strategy, required capacity, capabilities, and budgetary priorities; and
the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative, established under section 3, will assist in resourcing budgetary priorities and enhancing transparency and oversight of programs and activities to increase deterrence and strengthen ally and partner capability in the Indo-Pacific region and better enable a coordinated and strategic plan for Department of Defense programs.
Sec. 3 Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative
In general— For the purpose of enhancing the United States deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region, assuring allies and partners, and increasing capability and readiness to deter and defend against any aggression by an adversary, the Secretary of Defense shall carry out an initiative, to be known as the “Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative”. Under such initiative, the Secretary shall—
provide increased presence by positioning the right capabilities in key locations in order to respond to adversarial threats in a timely manner;
enhance prepositioning, infrastructure, and logistics;
strengthen the capability of United States forces and allies and partners in the region;
increase readiness through training and exercises; and
exercise the authorities of the Secretary to meet objectives under the National Defense Strategy.
Funding— Amounts may be made available to carry out subsection (a) as follows:
For fiscal year 2021, $6,089,000,000, from amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense for that fiscal year for Operation and Maintenance, Defense-wide.
Not later than five days after the date on which the President submits to Congress the budget for fiscal year 2022 and for each subsequent fiscal year, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, shall submit to Congress the estimated expenditures and proposed appropriations included in the budget for the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative. The budget shall include proposed funding for each of the following with respect to the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative:
Presence and joint force lethality.
Prepositioning and logistics.
Infrastructure.
Strengthening allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Exercises and training.
Procurements.
Any other matters determined appropriate by the Secretary of Defense.
End of fiscal year report— Not later than January 15, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that contains a detailed summary of the activities and resources of the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative referred to in subsections (a) and (b).
Briefing— Not later than March 1, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on the status of all matters covered by the most recently submitted report required by section (c) and a preview of budget proposal and programs for the fiscal year subsequent to the fiscal year during which the briefing is conducted.
Budget display information— The Secretary of Defense shall include a detailed budget display for the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative referenced in subsection (a) and (b) in the materials submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget for fiscal year 2022 and for each subsequent fiscal year.