Sec. 282. Sense of Congress on Arctic security
377 words·~2 min read·
/bill/116/s/4629/is/section-282A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of Congress that— the rapidly changing Arctic environment— creates new national and regional security challenges due to increased activity in the Arctic Region; heightens the risks of potential conflicts spilling over into the Arctic Region from interventions and theaters of tension in other regions of the world; threatens maritime safety due to inadequate capacity to patrol increasing vessel traffic across broader expanses of open Arctic water resulting from diminishing annual levels of sea ice; impacts public safety due to increased human activity in the Arctic Region where search and rescue capacity remains very limited; and threatens the health of the Arctic Region’s fragile and historically pristine environment and the unique and highly sensitive species found in the Arctic Region’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems; increased maritime traffic and other economic activity from adversarial nations, such as the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, threaten United States interests and the free movement of vessels in the Arctic Region; increased military presence in the Arctic Region from countries such as the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China pose serious security threats to the United States; diminished sea ice, resulting from the effects of climate change, is— opening up new maritime routes; increasing maritime traffic; extending the times of year in which ships can transit the Arctic Region; and creating greater risks to the Arctic environment, maritime safety, and naval defense patrols; the United States should reduce the consequences outlined in preceding paragraphs by— carefully evaluating the wide variety and extremely dynamic set of security and safety risks unfolding in the Arctic Region; developing policies and making preparations for mitigating and responding to threats and risks in the Arctic Region; adequately funding the National Earth System Prediction Capability Project to substantively improve weather, ocean, and ice predictions on time scales necessary for ensuring regional security and trans-Arctic shipping; investing in resources, including a significantly expanded icebreaker fleet, to ensure that the United States has adequate capacity to prevent and respond to security threats in the Arctic Region; and pursuing diplomatic engagements with all nations in the Arctic Region to reach an agreement for— maintaining peace and stability in the Arctic Region; and fostering cooperation on stewardship and safety initiatives in the Arctic Region.