On Friday, U.S. Congressman Mike Waltz introduced the Connecting Oceania’s Nations with Vanguard Exercises and National Empowerment (CONVENE) Act of 2023, a bill aimed at increasing cooperation between the United States and Indo-Pacific nations to counter the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and other malign influence. U.S. Senator Joni Ernst is introducing companion legislation in the Senate.The bill focuses on establishing national security councils for each of the Compacts of Free Association (COF) nations, including the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the...