S 1883119th CongressIntroduced

DISRUPT Act

Introduced: May 22, 2025

Defense & National SecurityEconomy & Taxes

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The DISRUPT Act would require the executive branch to craft a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to disrupt and deter increasing cooperation among four U.S. adversaries: the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The bill envisions creating cross‑agency task forces focused on “adversary alignment,” plus formal reporting obligations to Congress. It aims to use sanctions, export controls, diplomacy, intelligence tools, and military deterrence to disrupt the most dangerous aspects of these countries’ cooperation, constrain their expansion, and prepare for potential simultaneous challenges in multiple theaters (Indo-Pacific, Europe, Middle East). The policy emphasizes closer coordination with allies and partners, strengthening U.S. economic statecraft, and improving deterrence through stockpiling and defense collaboration. In short, the bill would institutionalize a coordinated, interagency effort to map, monitor, and counter the growing ties among these four countries, with mandated task forces, intelligence reports, and strategic plans due at specific intervals, many of which would be classified when submitted to Congress.

Key Points

1Establishment of Task Forces on Adversary Alignment
2- By 60 days after enactment, each major department/agency (State, Defense, Treasury, Commerce, DNI, CIA) must create a task force on adversary alignment and appoint a point of contact to lead it.
3- Task forces must include subject-matter experts on each country (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea), core department/agency functions, and a mix of analysts, operators, and senior staff.
4- Task force members must have appropriate security clearances and access to sensitive information; they must submit a classified 180-day report evaluating impact and recommending organizational changes to respond to evolving adversary cooperation.
5- Task force heads must meet at least quarterly to discuss progress and next steps.
6DNI-Directed Report on Adversaries’ Bilateral/Multilateral Cooperation
7- Within 60 days, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) must coordinate a report for the President and Congress detailing current bilateral and multilateral cooperation among the four adversaries and the risks this cooperation creates.
8- The report must describe the nature, extent, trajectory over five years, risks to U.S. operations, and vulnerabilities within these relationships (to be provided in classified form).
9Strategic Approach Report
10- Within 180 days, the Secretaries of State and Defense (in consultation with Treasury, Commerce, DNI, and the CIA) must submit a classified, two-year strategic plan outlining how the United States will disrupt, frustrate, constrain, and prepare for adversary cooperation.
11- Elements include: methods/tools to disrupt dangerous cooperation (including defense-industrial connectivity among adversaries); a diplomatic/intelligence timeline to educate and mobilize allies; a plan to maintain and enforce economic statecraft (sanctions/export controls) and address capability gaps; a deterrence plan with concrete steps (stockpiling, co-production with allies, and use of Foreign Military Financing to bolster allied defense production); and a digitized war-planning update timeline to keep DoD planning current with evolving threats.
12- The plan must also assess vulnerabilities and gaps if the U.S. were to confront more than one adversary simultaneously and propose steps with partners to mitigate those gaps.
13Emphasis on Economic Statecraft and Deterrence
14- Throughout, the bill prioritizes sanctions, export controls, and messaging to allies/partners to counter adversary alignment.
15- It calls for ensuring the integrity and efficiency of U.S. economic tools and for strengthening deterrence in key theaters (Indo-Pacific, Europe, Middle East).
16Classified Reports and Congressional Oversight
17- Many reports and some details are to be submitted in classified form to appropriate congressional committees, reflecting an emphasis on protecting sensitive national security information while informing lawmakers.

Impact Areas

Primary affected groups- U.S. executive branch agencies: State, Defense, Treasury, Commerce, DNI, and CIA would be required to establish and staff task forces, coordinate interagency efforts, and produce mandatory reports.- U.S. national security and foreign policy establishment: The approach pushes a more integrated strategy across diplomacy, defense, intelligence, and economic tools.Secondary/broader effects- U.S. allies and partners: The bill envisions sharing information and coordinating with partners to counter adversary alignment, potentially expanding joint deterrence efforts and co-production of defense capabilities.- Defense industrial base and technology sectors: Increased attention to the connectivity and transfer of dual-use technologies among adversaries could influence export controls, licensing, and collaboration with allied defense industries; co-production and stockpile strategies imply deeper allied defense cooperation.- Sanctions and economic policy: Emphasis on maintaining the effectiveness of sanctions and exploring alternative payment mechanisms may affect how the U.S. administers and enforces economic tools and how partners participate in those tools.- Legislative and executive branch transparency: Classified reporting limits public disclosure, but Congress would receive detailed, sensitive analyses to shape policy oversight and potential further legislation.The bill’s core concept is a proactive, interagency, all-tools approach to counter what the sponsors describe as unprecedented levels of cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, especially in defense, technology, and economic domains.It uses terms like “adversary alignment” to describe increasingly coordinated actions among the four states, and “whole-of-government” to signal coordination across diplomatic, defense, economic, and intelligence agencies.While the text provided contains deletions in sections (as shown by <DELETED> placeholders in the public draft), the substantive elements described above reflect the bill’s stated scope and requirements as presented in the available material.The short title DISRUPT Act is intended to stand for Defending International Security by Restricting Unacceptable Partnerships and Tactics Act.

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