[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3405 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3405

   To establish a standing consultative group within the Congress to 
facilitate consultations between the Congress and the Executive Branch 
    with respect to the use of United States military force abroad.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 28, 1993

 Mr. Hamilton (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Lantos, Mr. Bereuter, Mr. 
  Gejdenson, Mr. Johnston of Florida, and Mr. Dellums) introduced the 
      following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish a standing consultative group within the Congress to 
facilitate consultations between the Congress and the Executive Branch 
    with respect to the use of United States military force abroad.

    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 ``Consultation Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. STANDING CONSULTATIVE GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--There shall be within the Congress a group of 
Members of Congress to be known as the Standing Consultative Group 
(hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Consultative Group'').
    (b) Purpose.--
            (1) In general.--(A) The purpose of the Consultative Group 
        shall be to facilitate improved interaction between the 
        Executive branch and the Congress with respect to the use of 
        United States military force abroad, including any such use 
        described in section 3 and section 4(a) of the War Powers 
        Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1542 and 1543(a)).
            (B) To the fullest extent practicable, consultations in 
        accordance with this subsection should occur before the United 
        States engages in discussions within the United Nations, within 
        any regional organization in which the United States 
        participates, or with other countries on the possible use of 
        United States military force abroad, including in particular 
        any such use under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter 
        and any such use that might involve placing elements of the 
        United States Armed Forces under the operational control of a 
        foreign national.
            (2) Regular consultations.--In carrying out paragraph (1), 
        the Consultative Group and the President (or senior members of 
        the administration involved with national security issues) 
        should meet regularly for discussions and consultations.
            (3) Special consultations.--The Consultative Group and the 
        President (or senior members of the administration involved 
        with national security issues) should also meet whenever United 
        States military action abroad is being considered by the 
        President and senior members of the administration.
    (c) Membership.--The Consultative Group shall consist of the 
following Members of Congress:
            (1) House of representatives.--Those Members of the House 
        of Representatives designated by the Speaker of the House 
        (after consultation with the minority leader of the House). The 
        Members so designated should include majority and corresponding 
        minority representatives of the House leadership and the 
        following committees: the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
        Committee on Armed Services, the Permanent Select Committee on 
        Intelligence, and the Committee on Appropriations.
            (2) Senate.--Those Senators designated by the majority 
        leader of the Senate (after consultation with the minority 
        leader of the Senate). The Senators so designated should 
        include majority and corresponding minority representatives of 
        the Senate leadership and the following committees: the 
        Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed 
        Services, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the 
        Committee on Appropriations.
    (d) Definition.--As used in this section, the term ``Member'' 
includes, in the case of the House of Representatives, the Resident 
Commissioner to the United States from Puerto Rico and Delegates to the 
House.

SEC. 3. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.

    The conduct of consultations pursuant to section 2(b) of this Act 
with respect to a possible or an ongoing United States military action 
abroad shall not be construed as a grant of authority from the Congress 
to the President to conduct such military action.

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