Bipartisan senators on Tuesday floated legislation that would create a new State Department office to hammer out energy and mineral agreements with low- and middle-income countries to counter China.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska floated the “Energy Security Pacts Act,” which would establish an Office of Energy Security Pacts to coordinate the crafting of 10-year, bilateral energy security pacts with partner countries.
The legislation is one of several bills with bipartisan support to increase the State Department’s infrastructure on energy and minerals following a reorganization last year.
Coons in a statement said countries around the world need reliable energy to grow their economies and the U.S. — not Beijing — should be the partner they turn to. The bill, he said, would help the U.S. coordinate American investment, technical expertise and diplomacy to support partner countries.
