Michael Bennet (D-CO)
A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen multilateral deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill requires the Secretary of Defense to create and carry out a strategy to bolster multilateral deterrence against aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. The plan focuses on increasing coordination with allies such as Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Australia. It includes efforts to improve military access, command structures, and intelligence sharing. The strategy must also address the security of trade routes and military avenues of approach. Additionally, the Secretary of Defense must submit the written strategy and subsequent progress reports to congressional defense committees.
Yes
- Scored +8
Does this strengthen ties with allied countries?
The bill seeks to strengthen multilateral deterrence through increased coordination, intelligence-sharing, and interoperability with allies like Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Australia.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to identify additional resources and funding needed for regional access and military operations.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Regional Deterrence: By expanding multilateral coordination and intelligence-sharing, the bill seeks to strengthen deterrence against regional aggression in the Indo-Pacific region (Section 1(a)).
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Enhanced Military Interoperability: The strategy aims to leverage reciprocal access agreements to expand regional access for allies, which includes pre-positioning munitions stockpiles and using shared facilities (Section 1(b)(1)(A)).
-
Improved Command and Coordination: The bill focuses on improving command and control structures through specific entities like the Combined Coordination Center in the Philippines and the joint force headquarters in Japan (Section 1(b)(1)(B)).
-
Increased Maritime Awareness: The plan includes expanding intelligence-sharing and maritime domain awareness among the United States and its partners (Section 1(b)(1)(C)).
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Securing Trade Routes: The strategy requires considering contingencies for the security of likely military and economic avenues of approach and trade routes across the Indo-Pacific (Section 1(b)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Potential Funding and Policy Changes: The Secretary of Defense is required to identify any changes to funding or policy that may be necessary to strengthen multilateral deterrence (Section 1(c)(1)).
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Requirement of Additional Resources: The bill notes that additional resources may be required to carry out initiatives such as expanding regional access, improving command structures, and expanding military exercises (Section 1(c)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this strengthen ties with allied countries? — The bill seeks to strengthen multilateral deterrence through increased coordination, intelligence-sharing, and interoperability with allies like Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Australia.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to identify additional resources and funding needed for regional access and military operations.
- 8/1/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Dan SullivanRepublican · Alaska