Providing Appropriate Recognition and Treatment Needed to Enhance Relations Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the PARTNER Act. This is a bipartisan bill, supported by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, that strengthens American diplomacy, science, and leadership in the world.

The PARTNER Act does something very simple but very important. It extends basic legal protections, known as privileges and immunities, to several key international organizations that the United States works closely with but that, until now, have lacked the same recognition that we give to other multilateral institutions.

Let me explain why this is very important.

These legal protections are not special favors. They are the standard tools that allow international organizations to do their work effectively and independently. They protect institutions from lawsuits, taxation, or other interference that could disrupt their missions, while still ensuring that individuals remain accountable for their own private actions.

They are reciprocal. Just as American diplomats and officials enjoy these protections when we serve in international organizations abroad, we extend them to our partners here in the United States. It is the basic infrastructure of diplomacy.

Why is this bill important right now?

First, our strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is central to U.S. engagement in Asia. Recognizing its diplomatic status here in the United States shows our commitment to the region's future and to working with our Asian partners on equal footing.

Second, the Western Hemisphere, of which we are a part, is obviously incredibly important to the United States. CARICOM, the Caribbean Community, plays a crucial role in democratic governance, regional security, and disaster preparedness. Extending privileges and immunities supports CARICOM as a unified voice for the Caribbean and strengthens U.S. ties to a region where influence should be felt through real and consistent engagement.

Third, science and technology leadership. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is one of the world's premier scientific organizations. It is partnering with United States researchers on the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, a $3 billion project based right here in United States. This is some of the most important and cutting-edge physics research in the world that will, hopefully, allow us to better understand the universe.

By extending privileges and immunities to CERN, we can speed up the timeline for this groundbreaking work, control costs, and ensure that American scientists remain at the forefront of the discovery.

Fourth, our Pacific and African partners. This bill authorizes the President to extend protections to the Pacific Islands Forum, a vital regional body in the South Pacific where small island nations are on the front lines of climate change and facing significant diplomatic overtures by China.

The bill fixes a gap in U.S. law by ensuring the African Union's observer mission to the United Nations in New York receives the same recognition as the AU itself.

Taken together, these provisions make clear that the United States values our partnerships and will invest in multilateral cooperation that advances our interests and our American values.

Mr. Speaker, Congress has extended privileges and immunities before to the European Union, to the African Union, and, of course, to the United Nations and the Organization of American States. This bill simply applies the same standard to other organizations that the United States works with every single day.

At a time when our competitors are working overtime to expand their influence in Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Africa we cannot afford to sit back.

The PARTNER Act is a concrete step to strengthen U.S. leadership, deepen our alliances, and keep America the center of global diplomacy and science.

I thank all of my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, for their leadership and for their work on this bill. This bill has broad bipartisan support. It is good for American diplomacy, good for American science, and good for American leadership in the world.
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Mr. CASTRO of Texas. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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