BRIDGE Act
The BRIDGE Act requires the U.S. government to develop a unified strategy to counter China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). It mandates that the Secretary of State and other agency heads report to Congress on how China uses infrastructure projects to expand its global influence and provide a detailed plan for U.S. economic competition. The goal is to better coordinate federal resources and work with international allies to offer alternatives to Chinese-led development.
- Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
- Introduced in House
- Introduced in House
The provisions, in plain language.
Designates the short title of the Act as the "Build Responsible Infrastructure Development for the Global Economy Act" or the "BRIDGE Act."
Requires the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Commerce and the CEO of the International Development Finance Corporation, to submit a report to Congress within 180 days on the People's Republic of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Mandates that the report include information on how the BRI is used to undermine the U.S.-led international order and create alternative PRC-centric organizations.
Requires the report to assess current U.S. tools and provide a detailed strategy for coordinating resources among the State Department, Commerce Department, and International Development Finance Corporation to counter the BRI.
Mandates that the strategy include interagency recommendations, an assessment of policy gaps, a timeline for execution, a roadmap linking to national security priorities, and a plan for coordination with allies.
Requires the Secretary of State and coordinating agencies to submit an implementation plan for the strategy within one year of enactment.
Mandates that the implementation plan include program metrics, monitoring and evaluation protocols, and a plan to ensure the strategy promotes U.S. foreign policy goals in the Indo-Pacific.
Directs that the reports be submitted in unclassified form (with an optional classified annex) and that unclassified portions be published on a public government website.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Congress (named oversight committees)Receives a mandated unclassified report and implementation plan on U.S. strategy to counter China's BRI, giving the named Armed Services, Foreign Affairs/Relations, Ways and Means/Finance committees new oversight information (Sec. 5(a),(c)).
- General publicThe unclassified portion of the report must be published on a public government website, giving citizens access to the government's BRI strategy assessment (Sec. 5(c)).
Who it burdens
- Department of StateMust lead and deliver, within 180 days, a report on China's Belt and Road Initiative and, within one year, an implementation plan, coordinating across agencies (Sec. 5(a)-(b)).
- Department of CommerceRequired to coordinate with State on producing the BRI report and counter-strategy, adding an interagency reporting duty (Sec. 5(a)).
- U.S. International Development Finance CorporationIts CEO must coordinate with State and Commerce to produce the BRI report and the strategy to counter the initiative (Sec. 5(a)).