National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. CASE. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment requesting the Department of Defense to assess the status of security cooperation and assistance with Pacific Island Countries and the feasibility of expanding it.

The Department of Defense currently operates a Maritime Security Initiative in the South China Sea that works to build regional capacity to address a range of maritime challenges. This effort includes a wide range of assistance including International Military Education and Training, Foreign Military Financing, operations combating the narcotics trade, and the transfer of excess defense articles.

Our nation launched this program, in part, to help check Chinese influence in the region. China provides its assistance without regard for America's principles for a free and open Indo-Pacific that has governed the region since the end of World War II.

Given the rise of Chinese influence in the Pacific Island Countries, the question we have before us is can this program be replicated to help the island nations in the Pacific who are seeing a push by China to expand its influence into Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Tonga. This Chinese influence threatens the blood, sweat, and treasure spent by our country during World War II in an effort to ensure freedom and the rule of law would thrive throughout the Indo-Pacific.

My amendment takes the first step to see what can be done to protect these nations who share our values and are under pressure for Chinese influence. The amendment would direct the Defense Department to assess the current status of security cooperation and assistance with Pacific Island Countries and the feasibility of expanding it to advance our national security objectives in the Indo-Pacific.

I urge support of my amendment to determine how to ensure our traditional allies in region have the tools and training needed to help America ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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Mr. CASE. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment directing our military intelligence agencies to determine the degree of foreign influence in the Pacific Island Countries and to assess how to close any intelligence gaps our nation has in the region.

Because my home state of Hawai`i is closer to Asia than Washington D.C., I have met with many leaders from the Pacific Island Countries, which includes Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Tonga.

Time and time again, I have heard stories of troubling Chinese influence in the region. Efforts to bribe senior government leaders. Questionable foreign business investments near U.S. military installations, and even an effort that might have thrown a parliamentary government into crisis. We need our intelligence community to assess what is happening so we can determine how to respond.

To address these threats, my straightforward amendment only asks for three things. First, the Defense Department would assess the actions of foreign militaries in the Pacific Island Countries. Second, the department would assess any gaps in our intelligence collection capabilities that may undermine this intelligence assessment, and third, the Defense Department would determine how to eliminate any gaps in our intelligence.

With this information, we can fully assess what is happening in the Pacific Island Countries to and determine how we should respond to ensure that our partners in the region are not undermined by a foreign influence that is combating our nation's goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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Mr. CASE. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment directing the Department of Defense to provide a report regarding the risks posed by non-military aircraft flying over our nation's military installations.

Not unlike many other states, on the Island of Oahu in my home state of Hawaii we have multiple military installations situated near a major international airport and a large airport supporting general aviation.

Although agreements have been made to help control this air traffic, on a regular basis these agreements are violated. For example, I have personally seen tour helicopters fly right over sensitive locations around Pearl Harbor, the home of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Air Forces.

My amendment seeks to achieve two commonsense steps to address the potential risks from these nonmilitary aircrafts operating near U.S. military installations. First, the Department of Defense will assess the encroachment challenges and security risks posed by non-military aircraft that fly over military installations, to include operational impacts, installation and personnel security and intelligence concerns. Second, the department would propose practicable strategies and recommendations for mitigating any significant risks.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment so we can start responding to encroachment and security risks from non-military aircraft today before waiting until an incident forces us to act because our nation's security and safety have been compromised.

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