H.R. 5320

[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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