Press Releases

On Monday, the bipartisan Partners in Diplomacy Act, introduced in August by Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) and co-led by Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation will enable the State Department to enter into co-location agreements with U.S. allies in overseas facilities, such as embassies and consulates. This specifically includes only NATO allies and major non-NATO allies. 

Co-locate agreements have immense benefits for U.S. diplomacy. They would allow State Department personnel to deepen relationships with like-minded partners abroad and ensure aligned objectives. Sharing space would also reduce costs for diplomatic office space and allow for the opening of new, less expensive posts in strategic locations. Co-location would be a particularly helpful tool in the Pacific Islands, where a physical diplomatic presence is critical to countering the CCP.

"The Partners in Diplomacy Act will go a long way to strengthening the U.S. position in strategic regions and enhancing our relations with trusted partners," said Congressman Lawler. "Setting our country up for success in the international space has been one of my top objectives as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. I’m pleased that Congress and the White House understand the immense benefits of this policy, and I’m glad we could get this done in the 118th Congress."

The Partners in Diplomacy Act is the sixth bill introduced by Congressman Mike Lawler to become law in the 118th Congress. His other bills to become law were:

• The Special Envoy for the Abraham Accords Act
• The Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act
• The Iran-China Energy Sanctions Act
• The Undetectable Firearms Reauthorization Act
• The Enhanced Presidential Security Act

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of the 118th Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.