Arctic Watchers Act

This bill establishes the Arctic Watcher Program within the Department of State to enhance United States engagement and security in the Arctic region. The program aims to monitor the region across security, military, economic, natural resource, cyber, scientific, and political sectors in foreign countries. A primary objective is to actively combat malign influence campaigns by the People's Republic of China, the Russian Federation, and other actors that threaten United States, European, and Indo-Pacific security and the rules-based international order. Under this program, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, will assign individuals designated as "Arctic Watchers" to diplomatic posts. These assignments include at least three posts in European Arctic countries and one in North American Arctic countries, with additional posts as deemed necessary. The Office of the Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs will provide policy guidance to these Watchers, who will also submit annual reports to Congress detailing their progress and future goals. The bill authorizes $10,000,000 annually for the program's implementation.