The bipartisan Asia Reassurance Initiative Act (ARIA) of 2018 co-authored by U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) to strengthen and stabilize the Indo-Pacific region recently became law with the president’s signature.
“We are proud that our legislation to establish a long-term strategy in Asia has been signed into law,” said Sen. Gardner last week about S. 2736, which he introduced in April 2018 with co-author U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy.
“ARIA allows the United States government to speak with one voice to advance our nation’s national security and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific by establishing forward-looking policies, authorizing additional resources to strengthen our alliances and partnerships in the region, and speaking with moral clarity on fundamental American values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,” Sen. Gardner said.
According to a one-page summary of S. 2736 provided by Sen. Gardner’s office, the proposed bill would set national security and economic policies to advance U.S. interests and goals in the region; promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law as key U.S. objectives; and reassure America’s allies by deterring its adversaries in that part of the world.
President Donald Trump signed S. 2736 into law on Dec. 31, 2018, after the U.S. House of Representatives earlier that month resolved differences between its version of the bill, H.R. 6888, and the U.S. Senate version.
Specifically, according to Sen. Gardner’s bill summary, the new law authorizes $1.5 billion annually for five years to bolster the U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific and build stronger security partnerships with U.S. allies in the region, including Japan, South Korea, and Australia, by creating policy to peacefully denuclearize North Korea “through the campaign of maximum pressure and engagement,” among other goals.