[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4577 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 511
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4577
To reassess the United States-Tanzania bilateral relationship, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 19, 2026
Mrs. Shaheen (for herself and Mr. Cruz) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
July 27, 2026
Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reassess the United States-Tanzania bilateral relationship, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Reassessing the United
States-Tanzania Bilateral Relationship Act''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress makes the following findings:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Tanzania is one of Africa's fastest growing
economies with strong economic growth over the past decade due
to the expansion of key sectors, including agriculture, mining,
and tourism.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Tanzania's reliability as a partner to the
United States is increasingly in question due to ongoing
political repression, violations of religious freedom and
freedom of expression, and persistent barriers to United States
investment.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) The October 29, 2025, general elections were
marked by significant political interference, including ballot
manipulation and vote tabulation irregularities, which favored
incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other candidates of
Tanzania's parliamentary majority party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi
(CCM).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Leading up to the general elections in
Tanzania's October 29, 2025, election, multiple incidents of
political abductions and disappearances occurred in Tanzania,
most recently the abduction and subsequent disappearance of
Tanzanian Ambassador Humphrey Polepole on October 6,
2025.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) A range of actions by the CCM, a political
party that has continuously held a parliamentary majority and
controlled Tanzania's central government since the CCM's
formation in 1977, has severely undermined democracy in the
country.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6) The ongoing treason trial of Chadema
opposition figure Tundu Lissu, terrorism charges against
Chadema Deputy John Heche, and charges and detentions of other
opposition party members are politically motivated and intended
to prevent opposition figures from standing for
elections.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7) The Government of Tanzania has engaged in
violations of religious freedom, including the revocation of
registration for religious institutions, harassment, detention,
and attacks against religious leaders, and restrictions on
religious worship and expression.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) During mass citizen protests against
Tanzania's fraudulent and illegitimate October 29, 2025,
general elections, the Tanzanian Police and Tanzania Defense
Forces killed hundreds of Tanzanian citizens and endangered the
lives of United States citizens and tourists visiting the
country.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) While protestors faced attacks by Tanzanian
Security Forces, the Government of Tanzania imposed an internet
shutdown impacting online connections, communications,
business, and banking, disrupting regional trade and costing
the country an estimated $238,000,000 in the process.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10) In response to this unprecedented violence
and unrest in Tanzania, the United States Embassy in Tanzania
issued a Security Alert on October 30, 2025, calling on United
States citizens in Tanzania to shelter-in-place.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (11) Following the electoral protests, the
Tanzanian electoral commission released disputed results from
the fraudulent election, declaring President Samia Suluhu
Hassan the winner with 98 percent of the vote.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> It is the sense of Congress--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) that it is in the national security interests
of the United States to help counter democratic backsliding of
key partner nations where the United States has supplied
billions of dollars worth of investment, development,
humanitarian assistance, and security partnerships;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) that the actions by the Government of Tanzania
have subverted democracy, blatantly violated citizens'
fundamental human rights, disrupted regional trade, and
endangered the safety and security of Tanzanians, tourists, and
the diplomatic community;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) that these actions place United States
national interests in Tanzania at risk and threaten to
undermine regional stability and long-term bilateral
cooperation;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) to support the decision to terminate
Tanzania's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threshold
program; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) to express solidarity with the people of
Tanzania, recognizing the unprecedented levels of violence
experienced in Tanzania and support calls for an international
independent investigation into the pre- and post-election
violence in Tanzania leading those who conducted violence
against Tanzania civilians to be held accountable for human
rights violations.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 4. UNITED STATES REASSESSMENT WITH TANZANIA.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) Bilateral Relationship Reassessment.--The Secretary of
State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the United States
Trade Representative, and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies,
shall conduct a comprehensive reassessment of the bilateral
relationship between the United States and Tanzania.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Elements.--The reassessment required under subsection
(a) shall include--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) an analysis of the democratic priorities and
trajectory of Tanzania;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) a detailed strategy on the necessary
democratic reforms needed in Tanzania;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) an assessment of United States security
assistance to Tanzania to ensure that the Tanzanian Defense
Forces and Tanzanian Police are reliable partners that adhere
to Tanzania's constitutionally mandated human rights and rule
of law norms and protect the safety of citizens and all
visitors to the country of Tanzania;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) an assessment of how recent political unrest
and internet shutdown in Tanzania have impacted United States
business, investments, and partnerships in Tanzania;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) an evaluation of the relationship between the
Government of Tanzania and the Government of the People's
Republic of China, including--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) military and security cooperation,
including training, exercises, arms transfers, and
cooperation between defense, intelligence, or law
enforcement entities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) economic engagement, including
investments, loans, and financing involving Chinese-
state-owned or affiliated entities, and the impact of
such activities on market access, debt sustainability,
and the competitiveness of United States companies;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) political cooperation with the
Government of the People's Republic of China that seeks
to undermine democratic principles, advance one-party
consolidation, and solidify anti-American and anti-
Western sentiment internally and
internationally.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Report on Findings.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit
to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes the
findings of the review required under subsection (a).</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 5. REPORT ON CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
IN TANZANIA.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Financial Services of the
House of Representatives a report that includes a list of each foreign
person that the Secretary determines--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) holds a senior position in the Government of
Tanzania, the leadership of Chama Cha Mapinduzi, the Tanzania
Police Force, the Tanzanian People's Defense Force, or the
Tanzanian Intelligence and Security Service; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) is responsible for or complicit in, or has
directly or indirectly engaged in--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) ordering, controlling, or otherwise
directing abductions, enforced disappearances, or
arbitrary detention of political opponents,
journalists, or civil society actors;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the targeting harassment,
intimidation, detention, or use of violence against
journalists, media organizations, or activists to
suppress dissent or silence public reporting on human
rights violations;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (C) censorship, shutdowns, or other
restrictions on media, internet access, or freedom of
expression intended to conceal human rights abuses or
prevent the dissemination of credible
information;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (D) severe violations of religious
freedom, including the persecution of individuals or
groups on account of religion, prohibitions or
restrictions on religious worship, assembly, or
expression, or acts of violence, coercion, or
discrimination against religious communities;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (E) the use of transnational repression
tactics that target foreign nationals, Tanzanian
citizens, and diaspora members regionally and
internationally;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (F) extrajudicial killings, torture, or
gross violations of internationally recognized human
rights; or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (G) other actions that violate or
undermine internationally recognized human rights or
the civil liberties guaranteed to Tanzanian citizens
under the Constitution of Tanzania.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 6. SANCTIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the
submission of the report, the President may impose sanctions described
in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign person identified in the
report required under section 5(a)(1) that the Secretary determines
meets the criteria described in section 5(a)(2)(A).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this
paragraph are the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Blocking of property.--The President may
exercise all authorities under the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), to the extent
necessary to block and prohibit all transactions in property
and interests in property of a foreign person if such property
and interests in property are in the United States, come within
the United States, or come within the possession or control of
a United States person.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or
parole.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien
described in subsection (a) shall be--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) inadmissible to the United
States;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) ineligible to receive a visa
or other documentation to enter the United
States; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (iii) otherwise ineligible to be
admitted or paroled into the United States or
to receive any other benefit under the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101
et seq.).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) Current visas revoked.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) In general.--The visa or other
entry documentation of any alien described in
subsection (a) is subject to revocation
regardless of the issue date of the visa or
other entry documentation.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (ii) Immediate effect.--A
revocation under clause (i) shall, in
accordance with section 221(i) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1201(i))--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (I) take effect
immediately; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (II) cancel any other
valid visa or entry documentation that
is in the possession of the
alien.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (c) Implementation; Penalties.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Implementation.--The President may exercise
all authorities provided under sections 203 and 205 of the
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702 and
1704) for purposes of carrying out this section.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Penalties.--The penalties provided for in
subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 of the International
Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1705) shall apply to a
person that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to
violate, or causes a violation of this section or any
regulations promulgated to carry out this section to the same
extent that such penalties apply to a person that commits an
unlawful act described in section 206(a) of that Act.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (d) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Agricultural commodity.--The term
``agricultural commodity'' has the meaning given such term in
section 102 of the Agricultural Trade Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C.
5602).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person''
means a person that is not a United States person.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) Medical device.--The term ``medical device''
has the meaning given the term ``device'' in section 201 of the
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) Medicine.--The term ``medicine'' has the
meaning given the term ``drug'' in section 201 of the Federal
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (e) Termination of Sanctions.--The President may terminate
the application of a sanction imposed pursuant to this section with
respect to a person if the President certifies to the appropriate
committees of Congress that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) the person is not engaging in the activity
that was the basis for such sanction or has taken significant
verifiable steps toward stopping such activity; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) the President has received reliable assurances
that the person will not knowingly engage in activity subject
to such sanction in the future.</DELETED>
<DELETED> (f) Exceptions.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) Humanitarian assistance.--Sanctions authorized
under this section shall not apply to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) the conduct or facilitation of a
transaction for the provision of agricultural
commodities, food, medicine, medical devices,
humanitarian assistance, or for humanitarian purposes;
or</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) transactions that are necessary for,
or ordinarily incident to, the activities described in
subparagraph (A).</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2) Compliance with international obligations and
law enforcement activities.--Sanctions authorized under this
section shall not apply with respect to an alien if admitting
or paroling such alien is necessary--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) to comply with United States
obligations under--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (i) the Agreement between the
United Nations and the United States of America
regarding the Headquarters of the United
Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947,