[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5320 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5320
To strengthen United States relations with certain countries of Central
and Southeast Europe and develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen
democracy, rule of law, and civil society, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 11, 2025
Mr. Keating (for himself and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen United States relations with certain countries of Central
and Southeast Europe and develop a comprehensive strategy to strengthen
democracy, rule of law, and civil society, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transatlantic Growth Enterprise
Act''.
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.
The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.
Sec. 3. Findings.
Sec. 4. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 5. Establishment of Transatlantic Growth Enterprise.
Sec. 6. Definitions.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The United States has a strong and unwavering interest
in promoting peace, security, democracy, good governance, and
rule of law in Central and Eastern Europe.
(2) Many countries in Central and Eastern Europe are strong
and reliable NATO partners that serve as indefensible allies to
the United States and transatlantic security.
(3) In recent years, de-democratization in Central and
Eastern Europe, particularly in Hungary, has greatly undermined
the United States bilateral relationship with those countries
and have enabled malign actors like China and Russia to gain a
foothold in the transatlantic alliance.
(4) Russia's illegal war of aggression in Ukraine and
China's significant support for Russia's war of aggression pose
a significant economic and security threat to the European
continent.
(5) Strengthening the United States security and economic
relationship with Central and Eastern Europe while countering
malign action in the region is in the vital interest of the
United States.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) a strong security and economic relationship between the
United States and countries in Central and Eastern Europe is
vital to United States national security;
(2) Central and Eastern European countries play an
important role in NATO and the transatlantic security
architecture and serve as a bulwark against Russian malign
influence and aggression;
(3) the United States can better counter the influence of
the People's Republic of China around the world through
transatlantic cooperation including with countries in Central
and Eastern Europe; and; and
(4) United States investments in Central and Eastern Europe
and strengthened business to business ties between the United
States and Central and Eastern Europe strengthen the economic
security of the transatlantic relationship and contribute to
increased prosperity and energy security around the world.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF TRANSATLANTIC GROWTH ENTERPRISE.
(a) Enterprise Authorized.--The Secretary of State shall, in
coordination with the Chief Executive Officer of the Development
Finance Corporation, and other relevant Federal agencies, carry out a
program, to be known as the ``Transatlantic Growth Enterprise'', in
support of strengthening United States relations with participating
Enterprise countries, with a particular focus on strengthening business
to business ties and fostering a robust investment environment in
participating Enterprise countries as well as expanding energy security
and security cooperation within Enterprise countries.
(b) Objectives.--The objectives of the Enterprise shall be the
following:
(1) Strengthen United States relationships with like-minded
participating countries.
(2) Expand business-to-business ties, including by working
with relevant Chambers of Commerce, between United States
industry and important economic and security sectors in
participating countries.
(3) Expand energy sector cooperation between the United
States and Enterprise countries, including in the nuclear
energy sector.
(4) Strengthen people-to-people ties between the United
States and participating countries.
(5) Strengthen security cooperation and efforts to counter
Russian malign influence and aggression on the European
continent.
(6) Counter the People's Republic of China's growing
private sector footprint in Enterprise countries;
(c) Meetings.--The Secretary shall seek to convene appropriate
stakeholders of participating Enterprise countries at least twice per
calendar year to discuss shared goals and priorities for the
Enterprise. Such stakeholders shall include, as practicable, government
officials, business leaders, and civil society representatives.
(d) Limitation.--To the extent that projects or activities are
undertaken or supported by the Secretary, the Enterprise may only
engage with counterpart government officials of Enterprise countries
that the Secretary has determined are not undermining United States
interests in the region--
(1) through cooperation with Russia or China; or
(2) by undermining democracy in the region including
through the conclusion of a bilateral agreement with the
People's Republic of China or the Russian Federation that
enables the stationing of that country's police or military
forces on the enterprise country's territory.
(e) Reports.--
(1) Implementation report.--Not later than 180 days after
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary,
in coordination with the heads of the Federal agencies
described in subsection (a), shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report detailing the activities of
the Enterprise, which shall also include--
(A) an overview of the diplomatic engagements
undertaken in the Enterprise;
(B) an assessment of the progress of achieving the
objectives described in subsection (b); and
(C) recommendations for future initiatives for the
Enterprise to undertake.
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified
annex.
(3) Energy strategy.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
consultation with the heads of the Federal agencies described
in subsection (a), shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that includes the following:
(A) An overview of ongoing energy cooperation
between the United States and participating Enterprise
countries.
(B) An overview of the dependency of enterprise
countries on the Russian and Chinese energy sectors and
the impacts of these dependencies on United States and
transatlantic trade and energy security.
(C) A list of opportunities in the energy sectors
of participating countries, including in energy
infrastructure, that would enhance the work of the
Enterprise, further United States national security,
support decoupling from energy sector dependencies on
Russia and China, and strengthen United States
bilateral relations with enterprise countries.
(D) An assessment of required appropriations or
additional needed authorities for the United States to
carry out public sector opportunities listed pursuant
to subsection (c).
(E) An assessment of actions required by the
private sector and opportunities for the United States
to provide support to the private sector to carry out
private sector opportunities listed pursuant to
subsection (c).
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
(2) Enterprise country.--The term ``Enterprise country''
means the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania,
Moldova, Ukraine, or Bulgaria, and may include any other
country in Central and Eastern Europe that the Secretary of
State determines appropriate to participate in the Enterprise
authorized by section 5.
(3) North atlantic treaty organization.--The term ``NATO''
means the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
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