Duckworth Secures Verbal Agreement from Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio to Help Strengthen ASEAN Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific Region

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—secured a verbal agreement from U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), President-elect Trump’s nominee to serve as Secretary of State, on the importance of strengthening relations between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This comes after Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth could not correctly name a single nation that is a part of ASEAN when Duckworthquestionedhim at his confirmation hearing yesterday, demonstrating that Mr. Hegseth significantly lacks the experience or knowledge that a serious Secretary of Defense nominee should have. Duckworth’s full remarks can be found on the Senator’sYouTube.
“The U.S. must continue to be a leader and reinforce our unwavering support for our ASEAN partners in the Indo-Pacific region—and I appreciated Senator Rubio agreeing that strengthening these longstanding, irreplaceable relationships is critical,”said Senator Duckworth.“Whether it’s tackling geopolitical issues or supporting international disability rights and more, I’m encouraged that Senator Rubio and I can find common ground to strengthen America’s global leadership. I look forward to working with him if he is confirmed.”
Duckworth is a proven leader when it comes to strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and improving security in the region—which she has done while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. Last year, Duckworthmade an official visitto Laos and Vietnam to reinforce America’s commitment to our partners in ASEAN, strengthening U.S.-ASEAN economic ties and building on the foundations of the U.S.-Laos relationship. She alsoled a bipartisan U.S. Senate delegationto Taiwan to underscore and reaffirm our nation’s strong bipartisan support for the people of Taiwan. In 2023, Duckworthvisitedthe Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia to meet with government and business leaders and discuss opportunities that would increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as economic investments, regional stability and national security. Additionally, Duckworthled an official visittoJapanandIndonesiaas part of her continuing efforts to strengthen ties and reinforce support between allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and the United States.
In theFY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),Duckworth secured several provisions to enhance strategic partnerships and advance U.S. priorities in the Indo-Pacific, including a provision to improve medical readiness for our servicemembers in the Indo-Pacific. This provision is a modified version of Duckworth’sAccess to Care for Overseas Troops Act, which would help enhance our medical capabilities overseas by enabling our military personnel to access accredited foreign military medical facilities and create a medical readiness strategy in the Indo-Pacific. Additionally, a Duckworth-led provision in this year’sNDAAwould reinforce the U.S.-Vietnam Relationship by extending the duration of the Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative and clarifying the purpose of the cooperative program to expand its activities.
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