Reassessing the United States-Tanzania Bilateral Relationship Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4577 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Reassessing the United States-
Tanzania Bilateral Relationship Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (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.
            (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.
            (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).
            (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.
            (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.
            (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.
            (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.
            (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.
            (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.
            (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.
            (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.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress--
            (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;
            (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;
            (3) that these actions place United States national
        interests in Tanzania at risk and threaten to undermine
        regional stability and long-term bilateral cooperation;
            (4) to support the decision to terminate Tanzania's
        Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) threshold program; and
            (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.

SEC. 4. UNITED STATES REASSESSMENT WITH TANZANIA.

    (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.
    (b) Elements.--The reassessment required under subsection (a) shall
include--
            (1) an analysis of the democratic priorities and trajectory
        of Tanzania;
            (2) a detailed strategy on the necessary democratic reforms
        needed in Tanzania;
            (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;
            (4) an assessment of how recent political unrest and
        internet shutdown in Tanzania have impacted United States
        business, investments, and partnerships in Tanzania; and
            (5) an evaluation of the relationship between the
        Government of Tanzania and the Government of the People's
        Republic of China, including--
                    (A) military and security cooperation, including
                training, exercises, arms transfers, and cooperation
                between defense, intelligence, or law enforcement
                entities;
                    (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
                    (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.
    (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).

SEC. 5. REPORT ON CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN
              TANZANIA.

    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--
            (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
            (2) is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or
        indirectly engaged in--
                    (A) ordering, controlling, or otherwise directing
                abductions, enforced disappearances, or arbitrary
                detention of political opponents, journalists, or civil
                society actors;
                    (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;
                    (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;
                    (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;
                    (E) the use of transnational repression tactics
                that target foreign nationals, Tanzanian citizens, and
                diaspora members regionally and internationally;
                    (F) extrajudicial killings, torture, or gross
                violations of internationally recognized human rights;
                or
                    (G) other actions that violate or undermine
                internationally recognized human rights or the civil
                liberties guaranteed to Tanzanian citizens under the
                Constitution of Tanzania.

SEC. 6. SANCTIONS.

    (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).
    (b) Sanctions Described.--The sanctions described in this paragraph
are the following:
            (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.
            (2) Ineligibility for visas, admission, or parole.--
                    (A) Visas, admission, or parole.--An alien
                described in subsection (a) shall be--
                            (i) inadmissible to the United States;
                            (ii) ineligible to receive a visa or other
                        documentation to enter the United States; and
                            (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.).
                    (B) Current visas revoked.--
                            (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.
                            (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))--
                                    (I) take effect immediately; and
                                    (II) cancel any other valid visa or
                                entry documentation that is in the
                                possession of the alien.
    (c) Implementation; Penalties.--
            (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.
            (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.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (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).
            (2) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a
        person that is not a United States person.
            (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).
            (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).
    (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--
            (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
            (2) the President has received reliable assurances that the
        person will not knowingly engage in activity subject to such
        sanction in the future.
    (f) Exceptions.--
            (1) Humanitarian assistance.--Sanctions authorized under
        this section shall not apply to--
                    (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
                    (B) transactions that are necessary for, or
                ordinarily incident to, the activities described in
                subparagraph (A).
            (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--
                    (A) to comply with United States obligations
                under--
                            (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,
                        and entered into force November 21, 1947;
                            (ii) the Convention on Consular Relations,
                        done at Vienna April 24, 1963, and entered into
                        force March 19, 1967; or
                            (iii) any other international agreement; or
                    (B) to carry out or assist law enforcement activity
                in the United States.
            (3) Exception for intelligence activities.--Sanctions
        authorized under this section shall not apply to--
                    (A) any activity subject to the reporting
                requirements under title V of the National Security Act
                of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.); or
                    (B) any authorized intelligence activities of the
                United States.
            (4) Exception relating to importation of goods.--
                    (A) In general.--The requirement to block and
                prohibit all transactions in all property and interests
                in property under this section shall not include the
                authority or a requirement to impose sanctions on the
                importation of goods.
                    (B) Good defined.--In this paragraph, the term
                ``good'' means any article, natural or man-made
                substance, material, supply or manufactured product,
                including inspection and test equipment, and excluding
                technical data.
    (g) Rulemaking.--The President is authorized to promulgate such
rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions
of this section (which may include regulatory exceptions), including
under section 205 of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act
(50 U.S.C. 1704).

SEC. 7. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE AND INVESTMENTS
              FOR TANZANIA.

    (a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (c), none of the
following may be obligated, expended, or otherwise made available for
any entity in Tanzania:
            (1) Security assistance, as defined in section 502B(d)(2)
        of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d)(2)).
            (2) Assistance, grants, loans, loan guarantees, insurance,
        equity investments, or other support provided by--
                    (A) the United States International Development
                Finance Corporation;
                    (B) the Export-Import Bank of the United States; or
                    (C) the United States Trade and Development Agency.
    (b) Certification.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall
terminate beginning on the date that is 30 days after the date on which
the Secretary of State submits to the appropriate committees of
Congress a written certification that the Government of Tanzania has--
            (1) enacted electoral reforms to advance free, fair, and
        transparent elections;
            (2) suspended politically motivated or illegitimate
        criminal proceedings, corrected flawed or improper judicial
        judgments, and released opposition leaders and other
        individuals detained on politically motivated grounds;
            (3) taken demonstrable steps to hold government officials,
        members of the security forces, and law enforcement personnel
        accountable for political abductions, electoral violence, and
        actions that undermine democratic institutions; and
            (4) ceased the political intimidation and censorship of
        media figures, journalists, and civil society actors.
    (c) Exceptions.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not
apply to--
            (1) humanitarian assistance;
            (2) health assistance; and
            (3) assistance to support democracy, human rights,
        governance, and civil society in Tanzania.

SEC. 8. PROHIBITION ON MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION FUNDS FOR
              TANZANIA.

    (a) Prohibition.--Except as provided in subsection (b), no
Millennium Challenge Corporation funds may be committed, obligated,
expended, or otherwise made available for support for any threshold or
compact activities in Tanzania.
    (b) Certification.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall
terminate beginning on the date that is 30 days after the date on which
the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, acting
through the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, submits to the appropriate committees of Congress a
written certification that the Government of Tanzania has demonstrated
an ongoing commitment to just and democratic governance in accordance
with the criteria described in section 607 of the Millennium Challenge
Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7706).

SEC. 9. APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
        Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
        Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
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