Young, Ossoff Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen U.S. National Security in Indo-Pacific Region

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) are continuing their work to strengthen U.S. national security and counter China’s coercion with strong American diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region.

Senators Young and Ossoff introduced the bipartisan Pacific Islands Embassies Act to counter the Chinese government’s growing coercion and influence in the region by opening U.S. embassies in the Republic of Vanuatu, the Republic of Kiribati, and the Kingdom of Tonga to help reassert the U.S. as a diplomatic leader in the region.

This move would enable U.S. diplomats and foreign affairs officials to deepen their relationships in the vital region and ensure their operational and physical security.

“To confront China’s encroachment in the Pacific, we need to be diplomatically present. Our bill will help establish this vital American voice with key Pacific Island nations, demonstrating our commitment to allies and our leadership in the Indo-Pacific,” said Senator Young.

“Strong U.S. diplomacy in the Pacific is essential. We must immediately establish a robust physical diplomatic presence in these strategic island nations,” said Senator Ossoff. “Frankly, it is malpractice that the United States didn’t take this step a decade and a half ago. Time is of the essence.”

The Pacific Islands Embassies Act is co-sponsored by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).

Click here to read the bipartisan Pacific Islands Embassies Act.