WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on the U.S. Senate’s passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. This year’s defense package included numerous priorities Chair Cardin led, including improving efforts to combat global corruption worldwide; bolstering the security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States (AUKUS); and further modernizing the State Department to address 21st century challenges. It also marks the third consecutive year Congress has passed the State Department Authorization Act. The bill now heads to the House of Representatives.
“Every year, the National Defense Authorization Act offers us the opportunity to reaffirm America’s national security priorities, many of which have wide-reaching global implications. As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I was proud to lead efforts to include the Combatting Global Corruption Act, AUKUS, and State Department Authorization Act in this year’s NDAA.
“I am a firm believer that global corruption degrades confidence in the rule of law, and in democratic institutions, which is why I have long championed the fight against corruption here at home and abroad. Including the Combatting Global Corruption Act in the final NDAA text recognizes that combatting corruption is a core national security priority and advances efforts to implement meaningful reform in tackling corruption.
“As we look to counter our adversaries’ influence across the globe, the NDAA also includes the Department of State Authorization Act, which will help further modernize our diplomatic capabilities to meet 21st century challenges, improve passport services for Americans, support the State Department’s workforce, strengthen our response to overseas crises, and expand our efforts to help foreign countries prevent and respond to cyberattacks, among other things.
“The Department of State Authorization Act also provides critical support for the families of wrongfully detained Americans abroad, to lessen the burden on them as they advocate for the release of their loved ones. I am pleased that we could finally provide the families of wrongfully detained Americans some long-needed support, and I join them in their daily efforts to bring their loved ones home.
“Lastly, in addition to strengthening the State Department, I am pleased that this bill includes bipartisan legislation that originated in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to advance the critical, trilateral AUKUS partnership. The text includes important authorizations to support both Pillar I, the AUKUS submarine work; and Pillar II, the AUKUS advanced capabilities work. This text signals our strong support for two key allies by enhancing our deterrence capabilities in the Indo-Pacific, and streamlining the export of U.S. military technology while guarding against espionage.
“I look forward to them being passed out of the House and signed into law by President Biden.”
The full text of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 is available here.
Information on the provisions Chair Cardin championed are below:
Combatting Global Corruption Act
The Combatting Global Corruption Act recognizes that combatting corruption is a core national security priority and elevates the role that countering corruption plays in our foreign policy.
The bill requires the State Department to provide annual public reports on countries that are making good progress implementing or achieving efforts to battle corruption. It also calls for evaluating whether foreign persons engaged in significant corruption should be sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
It also calls for anti-corruption points of contact at U.S. diplomatic posts to promote good governance, enhance the ability of those to combat public corruption, and develop and implement corruption risk assessment tools and mitigation strategies.
Australia-United Kingdom-United States Partnership (AUKUS)
Outlines the AUKUS Partnership: Part I creates a State Department AUKUS Senior Advisor, reporting directly to the Secretary of State, and a State Department AUKUS Task Force to coordinate the implementation of AUKUS within the Department. Part I includes a similar designation for a Defense Department AUKUS Senior Official and reporting requirements related to the Administration’s AUKUS implementation.
Streaming and Protecting Transfers of United States Military Technology from Compromise: Part II provides a pathway for Australia and the United Kingdom to receive an exemption from licensing and other approval requirements for defense exports and transfers after the President certifies that the AUKUS partner has implemented a comparable export control system, as defined under current statute. Part II includes a number of other sections designed to streamline AUKUS defense trade while maintaining critical U.S. military technology safeguards.
AUKUS Submarine Transfer Authorization Act: Part III authorizes the President to transfer up to two Virginia class submarines from U.S. stocks and a third via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process to Australia. It also provides an authority for the President to export defense services to the Government of Australia or the United Kingdom to support the development of the Australian Submarine Industrial Base (SIB). Lastly, the text authorizes the President to accept money from the Australian Government to support our AUKUS efforts.
Department of State Authorization Act – Key Provisions
Provides Needed Support for Family Members of Wrongful Detainees: Would provide additional support to family members of Americans detained abroad, including reimbursing them for travel expenses and lodging for advocacy in DC on behalf of detained loved ones.
Seeks to Improve Passport Services: Includes provisions aimed at reducing passport wait times, modernizing passport operations, hiring additional passport examiners, and improving warnings for travelers.
Strengthens U.S. Responses to Overseas Crises: Requires the Secretary to develop contingency planning independent of any regional bureau, regularly update contingency planning, and maintain best practices on evacuations and emergency situations. Authorizes the Department to hire additional personnel to address and respond to exigent circumstances and urgent crises abroad.
Modernizes Department Workforce: Provides special hiring authorities, particularly for data science and technology expertise. Requires lateral entry programs to expedite employment of individuals at mid-career levels, including persons with STEM backgrounds.
Expands State Department Career Opportunities: Supports pay increases for Locally Employed Staff, promotes career development for civil servants, including overseas rotations and chief of mission consideration. Establishes Diplomatic Security Fellowships to assist in recruiting special agents, security engineering officers, and civil servants. Allows for hiring of interns.
Advances U.S. Influence in International Organizations: Helps counter Chinese and Russian influence in multilateral fora and expands multilateral training for Department employees to further U.S. interests and values at international organizations and in multilateral negotiations. Supports funding for USUN internships.
Reinforces International Cyber Capacities: Establishes a new Cyberspace, Digital Connectivity, and Related Technologies fund at State to help foreign countries prevent, respond to, and recover from cyberattacks, bolster civilian cybersecurity capacity, expand and increase secure internet access, and adopt policies and regulatory provisions that encourage an open, secure internet. It also codifies the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership, a U.S. whole-of-government partnership co-chaired by State and USAID dedicated to promoting a free and secure internet, including the responsible development of Artificial Intelligence.
Bolsters U.S. Public Diplomacy: Requires the Secretary of State and USAID Administrator to develop a strategy to increase Americans’ understanding of the value of U.S. foreign policy and assistance efforts to national security, including by expanding Diplomats in Residence programs, Reta Jo Lewis Local Diplomats, Pearson Fellows, Hometown Diplomats, and other initiatives.
Expands Economic Diplomacy and U.S. Strategic Competition: Establishes a Special Envoy for Belarus, U.S.-ASEAN Center, and Special Envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum. Bolsters embassy efforts to identify and support trade and investment opportunities for U.S. companies, and support critical infrastructure projects, including by identifying Chinese infrastructure projects in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship and Other Efforts to Advance Human Rights and Democratic Values: Establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program to promote international research on nonviolent movements and civil rights around the world. Mandates a report on the establishment of a Radio Free Africa and Americas modelled after Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Supports transatlantic democracy and human rights efforts.
Improves Workforce Quality of Life: Supports keeping tandem couples together in the Foreign Service, improving mental health services, strengthening anti-discrimination measures, increasing accessible work and living stations overseas, mandating the availability of spaces to breastfeed at embassies, education allowances for children, internet services at hardship posts, and overtime pay for Diplomatic Security protective services.
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