Values for America · Brief for congressional offices

To the office of U.S. Representative Craig A. Goldman

Re: HR 9147 (119th Congress), Abraham Accords Expansion Act of 2026 · Latest action (2026-06-04): Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
VFA SI Solution #75 · published 2026-06-06 · https://www.valuesforamerica.com/solutions/75
Office of record (Congress.gov): 1716 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC · (202) 225-5071

Regional Normalization Support and Reporting Act of 2026

The measure, as described from the official record: To broaden the statutory duties of the Special Presidential Envoy for the Abraham Accords, Negev Forum, and Regional Normalization to include ongoing monitoring, reporting, and coordination duties beyond initial agreement signing, and to codify those duties in law.

The proposal

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 'Regional Normalization Support and Reporting Act of 2026.' Section 2. Findings. Congress finds that normalization agreements between Israel and Middle Eastern states advance United States interests in regional stability, counterterrorism, and economic cooperation. To support these enduring interests, Congress authorizes a dedicated monitoring and reporting function within the Department of State without impinging on the President's diplomatic discretion. Section 3. Reporting requirements and support function. (a) Not later than 180 days after enactment, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the status of normalization agreements under the Abraham Accords, Negev Forum, and related processes. The report shall include: (1) progress on implementation of agreed-upon provisions; (2) new economic, security, or cultural initiatives; (3) obstacles to further normalization; and (4) recommendations for legislative or executive actions to support continued progress. (b) The Secretary of State may designate a senior official within the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs to coordinate intra-departmental efforts and serve as the point of contact for Congress on these matters. No additional Senate-confirmed position is created under this Act. Section 4. Limitation. This Act shall not be construed to require the President to appoint any particular individual or to perform any specific diplomatic act. All duties established herein are ministerial reporting and coordination functions that do not bind the President's Article II authority to conduct foreign affairs. Section 5. Authorization of appropriations. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each subsequent fiscal year through 2031 to carry out this Act, from amounts otherwise available to the Department. Appropriated funds shall be used solely for staff, travel, and information technology expenses directly attributable to the reporting and coordination functions described in Section 3. Section 6. Sunset. This Act shall expire on September 30, 2031, unless reauthorized by Congress.

Operative provisions (VFA proposal)

funding source: Authorization of appropriations from existing Department of State accounts, subject to annual appropriations; strictly capped at $2 million per year.
funding amount: $2,000,000 per year for five fiscal years (2027-2031), not to exceed $10,000,000 total.
sunset years: 5 years
oversight body: House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Senate Committee on Foreign Relations receive annual reports; Government Accountability Office may audit compliance.
enforcement mechanism: Reports required; if Secretary fails to submit timely report, the Department's appropriation for the next fiscal year shall be reduced by the amount authorized under this Act until compliance is achieved. Comptroller General may enforce through civil action for injunctive relief if reports are withheld.
effective date: Upon enactment

Constitutional basis

Article II, Section 1, Clause 1 (executive power vested in President)
Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 (Appointments Clause)
Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (Necessary and Proper Clause to support foreign affairs reporting)
Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (Commerce Clause — as basis for federal interest in normalization agreements affecting international commerce)
Tenth Amendment (reserving to states powers not delegated — here not triggered because this is federal-to-federal coordination, not commandeering)

Concerns with the measure as written:

Possible infringement on the President's sole authority to conduct diplomacy and appoint principal officers under Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 (appointments clause).
Potential commandeering of federal officers' duties in a way that constrains executive discretion under Article II, Section 1, Clause 1 (vesting clause).

Why both sides can back it (VFA’s assessment)

Honors Democratic priorities: formal reporting to Congress, transparency, oversight, sunset to prevent permanent expansion of executive-branch positions. Honors Republican priorities: avoids creating a new Senate-confirmed officer, respects President's Article II foreign affairs power, limited funding, clear limitation against commandeering executive discretion, and annual reporting to Congress for accountability without micromanaging diplomacy.

Values for America is a nonpartisan, constitution-first SI think tank. This brief is informational. It is a policy proposal, not law, and it does not support or oppose any candidate or party. Full analysis and sources: https://www.valuesforamerica.com/solutions/75 · Methodology: https://www.valuesforamerica.com/methodology