Kaine Applauds Committee Passage of His Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Alliances, Promote Rule of Law Abroad

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) and the Ranking Member of the SFRC Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights and Global Women’s Issues, applauded committee passage of several significant pieces of bipartisan legislation to strengthen U.S. alliances, promote rule of law and democratic institutions, and address corruption, violence, and human rights abuses in the Western Hemisphere:

“I’m proud that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced numerous bipartisan bills that I introduced to promote the rule of law, address violence and corruption in the Western Hemisphere, and strengthen our alliances, including the Australia-U.K.-U.S. partnership. The U.S. cannot retreat from the world stage, and what happens abroad has direct impacts on us here at home. I’m glad my colleagues in the Senate have continued to recognize the importance of thoughtful and bipartisan U.S. leadership in addressing long-term global challenges, and I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation when it comes to the Senate floor.”

Kaine successfully pushed for committee passage of the following bills:

• AUKUS Improvement Act: Kaine and Senator Pete Ricketts’ (R-NE) bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) agreement by streamlining defense industrial base collaboration and co-production of Virginia-class submarines.
• Strengthening United States Leadership at the Inter-Development Bank Act: Kaine and Senator Dave McCormick’s (R-PA) bipartisan legislation to strengthen the U.S. role at the Inter-American Development Bank to bolster economic partners, provide alternatives to Chinese investment, and create jobs in the U.S.
• Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act: Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rick Scott (R-FL), Kaine, Curtis, and Chris Coons’ (D-DE) bipartisan legislation to address corruption and violence in Haiti.
• United States-Taiwan Partnership in the Americas Act: Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Curtis, Kaine, and Ricketts’ bipartisan legislation to support Taiwan and its diplomatic partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• U.S.-Philippines Resolution: Senators Ricketts, Coons, Cornyn, and Kaine’s bipartisan resolution recognizing and reinforcing the strong defense partnership between the U.S. and the Philippines, especially in the wake of escalating aggression from China in the South China Sea.

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