Duckworth, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bills to Strengthen Coordination with Indo-Pacific Partners, Bolster Security in South China Sea Against PRC Aggression

Duckworth, Curtis Introduce Bipartisan Bills to Strengthen Coordination with Indo-Pacific Partners, Bolster Security in South China Sea Against PRC Aggression

The bills' introduction comes as Senator Duckworth travels to Philippines, Singapore to underscore support for partners in the region

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at improving coordination between the United States and our partners in the Indo-Pacific, which would strengthen security both in the region and back here at home. Amid increasing aggression from the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the South China Sea, the Senators' bills would help ensure the State Department prioritizes diplomatic engagement and improve the Department of Defense's (DoD) management of tensions in the region before they grow into full-blown crises that would require military action. The introduction of these bills come as Duckworth travels to the Philippines and Singapore to underscore support for our partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

"In the face of PRC aggression, the U.S. needs to stay focused and use all the tools at our disposal to push back in a way that's sustainable in the long-term and doesn't rely solely on our military to solve every problem," said Duckworth. "Our bipartisan bills would require the Departments of State and Defense to come up with a clear plan to strengthen coordination, diplomacy and crisis management in the region-under this Administration and the next. Together, these bills provide a steady vision and send a message that the U.S. is invested in working hand in hand with our partners for the long-haul."

"As the Indo-Pacific continues to face threats of instability from adversaries like China, the U.S. must have a proactive posture to best ensure the safety of Americans and our allies in the region," said Senator Curtis. "By directing the Departments of State and War to create a diplomatic blueprint and a contingency playbook, respectively, these bipartisan bills will help protect America's interests in the region and avoid unnecessary conflicts."

It is critical that DoD is prepared for any potential crisis in the Indo-Pacific region. For example, in the case of a flare-up involving the disputed islands on the Western side of the Philippines, more than 750,000 Americans living in the country would be at risk-and getting them to safety would involve coordination across as many as six countries' airspaces across Southeast Asia. Additionally, a conflict on the Western side of the Philippines in the South China Sea could disrupt as much as one third of global maritime trade, especially supplies of oil, gas, electronics and agricultural goods that Americans depend on. These are just a few examples-out of dozens of possible regional flashpoints-highlighting what is at stake if the United States neglects the Indo-Pacific region.

In the Philippines, Duckworth will meet with Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro and Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Austria to discuss ways to strengthen coordination between our two nations and improve readiness in the South China Sea. In Singapore, Duckworth will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue and meet with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Minister of Defense Chan Chun Sing to discuss her efforts to redouble U.S. collaboration with our Indo-Pacific partners and ensure security in the region. She will also meet with military officials at Sembawang Naval Installation, whose operations are critical to maintaining regional peace and stability.

The Senators' bipartisan South China Sea Strategy Act would ensure that the U.S. Department of State is strategically engaging on the South China Sea with our allies and partners and coordinating with interagency partners to achieve our objectives. Specifically, it would direct the Department to:

• Designate lead responsibility for coordinating South China Sea diplomatic engagement;
• Establish a Strategy for Diplomatic Engagement on the South China Sea to outline the United States' objectives for engagement with allies and partners on all matters in the South China Sea, covering security, diplomatic, legal and economic issues;
• Address specific priority themes for engagement, including bolstering defense capabilities, reinforcing maritime law enforcement capacity building resilience to foreign malign influence and supporting economic development; and
• Establish a clear mechanism for interagency and international coordination on crisis management for scenarios short of war in the region.

The Senators' bipartisan Strategy for Crisis Management Act would direct the DoD to create "crisis playbooks" in coordination with the interagency and foreign partners for a range of tailored options to manage possible crises in the South China Sea, to most effectively advance U.S. interests while avoiding pathways toward war. Specifically, it would direct DoD to:

• Create crisis playbooks for the most likely flashpoints in the South China sea, with each playbook containing sequenced response options and a plan for coordination with foreign partners, in coordination with the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury and any other relevant agency. Each playbook would include:
• • Indicators for triggers from baseline to crisis;
  • A planning scenario with justifications;
  • Anticipated decision points and recommended options for action, inaction or change in ongoing Department activities, with accompanying cost-benefit risk analysis;
  • Possible off-ramps; and
  • An engagement plan for coordination with foreign partners before and during the crisis.
• Provide Interim and Final Reports updating Congress on progress toward developing these crisis playbooks, including identifying the planning scenarios of flashpoints and summaries of accompanying crisis playbooks.

The full text of both the South China Sea Strategy Act and the Strategy for Crisis Management Act is available on Senator Duckworth's website.

Duckworth is a proven leader when it comes to strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and improving security in the region-which she has done while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. Two months ago, Duckworth slammed Donald Trump's reckless Iran war for being a gift to the PRC and for undermining our military readiness and security in the Indo-Pacific. Duckworth's Indo-Pacific Medical Readiness program-a program she championed in the FY2025 NDAA-will help ensure our nation's servicemembers as well as their families have access to quality patient care throughout the Indo-Pacific region, where they often must travel long distances to receive care.

Last year, Duckworth led official visits to South Korea and Japan to meet with government and economic leaders and discuss how the U.S. can better collaborate with our Indo-Pacific partners to enhance American shipbuilding capabilities and mutually strengthen each other's economies. Duckworth also led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore to reaffirm the United States' strong bipartisan commitment to our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as a visit to Taiwan to underscore Illinois's preparedness for additional international investments similar to those she's already successfully secured in her previous international travels.

-30-