Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are calling for a new, whole-of-government strategy to disrupt the growing cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
The Defending International Security by Restricting Unlawful Partnerships and Tactics, or DISRUPT Act of 2025, was introduced last week in the House by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and co-sponsored by Del. James Moylan, R-Guam.
The measure mirrors companion legislation introduced earlier in the Senate by Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and David McCormick, R-Pa., and is included in the draft version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
The bill aims to address what lawmakers describe as a growing alignment among adversaries, including increased weapons transfers, technology sharing, cyber operations, disinformation efforts, and sanctions evasion. The legislation would require the U.S. government to coordinate a unified response through multiple agencies.
“Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Pyongyang are drawing closer together: sharing weapons, boosting their economies, and spreading disinformation,” said Krishnamoorthi in a statement. “Their goal is to hurt America’s security and prosperity. The bipartisan, bicameral DISRUPT Act makes sure America and our allies don’t just keep up – we stay ahead.”
Under the House version, the DISRUPT Act directs the administration to develop a whole-of-government strategy and mandates a report from the director of national intelligence assessing adversary cooperation and its impact on U.S. interests. It also calls for the creation of interagency task forces within the departments of State, Defense, Commerce, and Treasury, and a comprehensive strategic report to Congress within 180 days of enactment.
The Senate version includes similar provisions, directing the intelligence community to analyze adversary collaboration and requiring coordination among key national security agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency.
“Our adversaries are becoming friends,” Coons said in a statement released in May. “We cannot continue to sit back and watch as they gain strength before our eyes – in weapons, in their armies, in their economic power. They want to make our country less secure and our economy less prosperous.”
“The DISRUPT Act is the first step to stopping their progress and keeping Americans safe,” he said.
McCormick echoed his democratic colleagues, adding that these nations are “rapidly strengthening their ties, solidifying an axis of destruction and chaos bent on undermining the United States and our allies and partners around the world.”