US House passes Bill for closer cooperation among Quad nations

New Delhi, February 16

The US House of Representatives has passed the Quad Bill which enjoins the Biden administration to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to enable closer cooperation between the US, Australia, India and Japan.

Passed by a huge majority of 340 votes, the “Strengthen US-Australia-India-Japan Cooperation” or the “Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad)” Bill says that the joint cooperation between the US, Australia, India and Japan should be strengthened.

Two Democratic lawmakers, including Ilhan Omar, voted against the Bill.

It asks the State Department to submit to the Congress, within 180 days of the Bill’s enactment, a strategy to increase engagement and cooperation with the Quad, and within 60 days of its enactment to enter into negotiations with Japan, Australia and India to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to facilitate closer cooperation.

It would also establish a US group, which would have a maximum of 24 members of the Congress, to represent the US in the working group. It would also establish guidelines for annual meetings and group leadership. Under the Bill, the group would be required to submit an annual report to the congressional foreign affairs committees.

Introduced by Congressman Gregory Meeks, the Bill requires the State Department to report to the Congress a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation with the Quad.

The strategy shall address cooperation on issues including preparing for the next pandemic, co-developing new innovative technologies, and deepening economic engagement and integration.