Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018
Public Law 115-409 · S. 2736 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2018 · International Affairs
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO)
Cosponsors (11): Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Marco Rubio,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018
This bill lays out strategies for promoting U.S. security and economic interests and values in the Indo-Pacific region, which spans from the west coast of India to the west coast of the United States. It authorizes funds to be appropriated for implementing such strategies and cites China's actions and claims in the South China Sea, North Korea's development of nuclear capabilities, and the increased presence of international terrorist organizations in Southeast Asia as particular concerns.
The bill authorizes to be appropriated $1.5 billion each fiscal year from 2019 to 2023 for the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Department of Defense. Appropriated funds shall be used for various goals, including to:
• advance U.S. foreign policy interests in the region;
• improve the defense capacity and resiliency of partner nations;
• build new counterterrorism partnership programs in Southeast Asia;
• strengthen partner nations' democratic systems; and
• ensure that regulatory environments in partner nations are transparent, open, and free of corruption.
Appropriated funds shall also be used to counter China's attempts to undermine the international system. The funds shall not be used for various programs, such as training programs for the armed forces of Burma (Myanmar).
The bill authorizes to be appropriated $100 million for each fiscal year from 2019 to 2023 to work with nations in the region to counter cybersecurity threats.
The bill authorizes to be appropriated funds for various economic-related goals, including to develop a comprehensive economic engagement framework with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, to strengthen intellectual property protections in the region, and to encourage countries to implement national energy strategies.
The bill authorizes to be appropriated $210 million each fiscal year from 2019 to 2023 for activities to promote democracy, strengthen civil society, human rights, rule of law, and accountability in the region. Appropriated funds shall be made available for efforts to promote democracy and human rights in China and to support cultural preservation and development activities in Tibet.
The bill affirms the United States' commitment to its partnerships with various countries, as well as Taiwan.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 6888Related bill
Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.
- Dec 31, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-409.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 27, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 19, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 2736 by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S. 2736 by Unanimous Consent.
- Dec 13, 2018FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
- Dec 12, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2736.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Ros-Lehtinen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Dec 6, 2018FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 4, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Oct 3, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 616.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Corker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Sep 26, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Apr 24, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4068SenateSen. Cory GardnerR-CO· offered Dec 4, 2018Agreed to
To make technical edits to the bill.
Dec 4, 2018: Amendment SA 4068 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.