PERA Act: US Senators propose $2.5 billion security boost for the Philippines

Bipartisan bill seeks to fortify US-Philippines alliance amidst regional security concerns

United States Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act of 2024 (PERA Act) on Wednesday, April 10. The bipartisan bill aims to bolster and modernize the U.S.-Philippines alliance by significantly increasing U.S. security assistance. This move comes in response to heightened aggression by China in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.

The PERA Act, introduced amidst a leaders-level summit among the United States, Japan, and the Philippines in Washington, D.C., seeks to address growing security challenges faced by the Philippines, a crucial treaty-based ally of the United States. The legislation proposes an annual authorization of $500 million in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance to the Philippines for each fiscal year from 2025 to 2029, totaling $2.5 billion over five fiscal years.

Senator Hagerty emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines in the face of mounting security threats.

“As the United States and the Philippines face growing challenges to security and prosperity in the West Philippines Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific, it’s critical for our two nations to deepen cooperation and raise our decades-long Alliance to even greater heights,” said Senator Hagerty. “This legislation is all the more timely given not only Communist China’s growing aggression in the West Philippines Sea and South China Sea, but also the leaders-level summit among the United States, Japan, and the Philippines this week.”

He highlighted the need to elevate the decades-long alliance to new heights and expressed confidence in the bipartisan bill’s ability to enhance defense and deterrence capabilities.

Echoing Senator Hagerty’s sentiments, Senator Kaine underscored the significance of supporting the Philippines in the wake of China’s aggression.

“China’s aggression towards the Philippines – a key U.S. ally – threatens the security and stability of the entire region,” said Senator Kaine. “It is pivotal that the people of the Philippines have the resources and support they need in the face of those threats. As a member of the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, I will continue to work to link arms with our allies and build a safe and stable future.”

Among the other key provisions of the Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act of 2024 include:

• Mandating the submission of an annual spending plan to Congress by the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, outlining how FMF assistance will be allocated for security purposes in the Philippines.
• Requiring the Secretary of State, in consultation with relevant department/agency heads, to submit an annual report to Congress detailing steps taken to enhance the defense relationship between the United States and the Philippines. This includes identifying crucial defense capabilities needed to modernize the Philippines’ defense capabilities and any additional appropriations or authorization laws required to support and cooperate on these capabilities.

The introduction of the PERA Act reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen bilateral ties and reinforce the U.S.’s commitment to the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.