Asia Reassurance Initiative Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Colorado, and I rise to echo the sentiments of the Senator from Colorado.

I first want to thank the Senator for all of his great work on this bill, for all of the hearings that took place in the subcommittee, all of the various interest groups who had to be worked with in order to make sure that this bill came to pass.

So I just want to thank the Senator from Colorado and thank his staff for the great work.

This bill is a historic bill. It is a very important bill. It could not have happened without the Senator, and I thank him for all of his incredible leadership on this issue.

I want to thank my own staff for all of their great work on this issue as well.

We had an incredible bipartisan partnership that was created between the Senator from Colorado and the Senator from Massachusetts, but our staffs worked very closely together.

This bill, the Gardner-Markey Asia Reassurance Initiative Act, is a very important bill, and I want to speak about this bill, but in doing so, I am actually speaking about something that is broader, something more important, something of more lasting consequence to international peace and stability, and something more critical to the economic well- being, security, and fundamental rights of Americans and millions of others around the globe.

America has always had an important relationship with the Indo- Pacific region, but the global landscape is changing, and today, more than ever, the Indo-Pacific is the most consequential region, not only for the United States but also for the rest of the world, and that is what this bill is all about. It is how we in the U.S. Congress can reaffirm that we, No. 1, are and will remain committed to the Indo- Pacific; No. 2, recognize its shifting dynamics and the significance these changes represent; and No. 3, stand ready to marshal the leadership and resources necessary to address the challenges we face and capitalize on the opportunities before us.

With that in mind, I again want to extend my gratitude to my partner in this endeavor, Senator Gardner. He has been the best possible partner in this effort, and I want to thank him for everything he has done.

I also want to thank Senators Corker and Menendez for their assistance in advancing this bill through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a litany of saints who I think should all be mentioned: Senator Rubio, Senator Cardin, Senator Young, Senator Sullivan, Senator Perdue, Senator Graham, Senator Coons, Senator Kaine, Senator Peters, Senator Wicker--all cosponsors of this bill, perfectly bipartisan.

I also want to thank Representatives McCarthy and Hoyer and Neal and Royce and Castro and Yoho for their work as well. That list of Members is not only indicative of the level of bipartisanship there is in Congress but also on U.S.-Asia policy. This bill would not have been possible without them, and it would not have been possible without, again, the wonderful staffs we are blessed to have working on these issues, who spent many long hours advocating for key American interests and values in this legislation.

This bill represents a generational policy framework to enhance U.S. leadership in the Indo-Pacific and is a demonstration of American commitment to a free and open region, as well as the rules-based international order.

Zach Hosford and Mark Appleton on my staff dedicated the last year to working and partnering with the Senator. So I am pleased that the Gardner-Markey Asia Reassurance Initiative will pass the Senate today, and I look forward to its being sent on to the President's desk.

I again thank Senator Gardner for all of his incredible work.

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