Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, introduced comprehensive legislation entitled the “Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement” or EAGLE Act. The legislation calls for the revitalization of American diplomacy, leadership, and investments globally in response to the policy challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China.

“I am proud to introduce the ‘Ensuring American Global Leadership and Engagement’ Act, groundbreaking legislation that reinvigorates American institutions and competitiveness at home and American diplomacy abroad to effectively respond to the China challenge. The EAGLE Act demonstrates the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s commitment to embracing America’s indispensable role and energizing our alliances and partnerships to bolster an international order that has safeguarded American interests and contributed to the maintenance of global peace and prosperity.

"The People’s Republic of China increasingly seeks to undermine that rules-based order and challenge America’s place in it. We must leverage America’s true strengths and focus on the real challenges posed by the PRC. America will come out ahead as long as we invest in our people and institutions, abide by our enduring values, and marshal our allies. The EAGLE Act will reinforce our diplomatic, economic, developmental, informational, military, and technological strengths. By buttressing the foundations of American statecraft, this bill will help restore America’s global leadership to its rightful place.”

A copy of the EAGLE Act of 2021 can be found here. Key elements of the legislation include: 

• Authorizes an increase in Department of State personnel and resources devoted to the Indo-Pacific and presents regional blueprints to enhance American engagement, including with countries typically ignored by U.S. foreign policy;
  
  
• Emphasizes the power of multilateralism and boosts American leadership in international organizations such as the United Nations, as well as regional ones like APEC;
  
  
• Reinforces U.S. commitment to engagement with partners and allies through bilateral and trilateral engagement as well as through the Quadrilateral Dialogue;
  
  
• Spurs U.S. strategic and economic competitiveness on the world stage through climate action, vaccine diplomacy, development finance, and digital and cyber partnerships;
  
  
• Holds China, the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, accountable on climate, to ensure that it plays a constructive role in the climate fight;
   
• Reinforces commitment to American values by responding to the PRC’s human rights violations, imposing costs on China for its use of Uyghur forced labor, and providing temporary protected and refugee status for qualifying Hong Kongers; and
  
  
• Strengthens America’s economic diplomacy and statecraft in order to shape the economic rules that govern global commerce, empower American workers and businesses, and invest in the technologies of the future.

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