[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1263 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1263

 To redeploy United States Armed Forces from the non-Kurdish areas of 
 Iraq if certain security, political, and economic benchmarks relating 
              to Iraq are not met, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 1, 2007

  Mr. Berman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Rules 
and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To redeploy United States Armed Forces from the non-Kurdish areas of 
 Iraq if certain security, political, and economic benchmarks relating 
              to Iraq are not met, 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 ``Iraq Benchmarks Act''.

SEC. 2. REDEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM THE NON-KURDISH 
              AREAS OF IRAQ.

    (a) Redeployment of Armed Forces From Iraq.--If the President is 
unable to make the determinations described in section 3 subject to the 
deadlines specified in such section, or if a joint resolution described 
in section 4 disapproving any such determination is enacted into law, 
then the Secretary of Defense shall, not later than 30 days after the 
applicable deadline specified in section 3 or the date of the enactment 
of the joint resolution, as the case may be, commence the redeployment 
of the Armed Forces from the non-Kurdish areas of Iraq, and complete 
such redeployment not later than 180 days after the date of the 
commencement of such redeployment.
    (b) Prohibition on Use of Funds To Continue Deployment of Armed 
Forces in Iraq.--Except as provided in subsection (c), funds 
appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law may 
not be obligated or expended to deploy or continue to deploy members or 
units of the Armed Forces in the non-Kurdish areas of Iraq after the 
conclusion of the 180-day period for redeployment specified in 
subsection (a).
    (c) Exceptions.--The Secretary of Defense may deploy members of the 
Armed Forces in the non-Kurdish areas of Iraq for purposes of--
            (1) providing security for the United States Embassy and 
        other United States diplomatic facilities in Iraq;
            (2) engaging in limited operations, involving less than 500 
        members of the Armed Forces, to kill or capture members of al-
        Qaeda and other terrorist organizations that pose a threat to 
        the national security of the United States; and
            (3) training members of the Iraqi Security Forces.

SEC. 3. DETERMINATIONS REGARDING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SECURITY, 
              POLITICAL, AND ECONOMIC BENCHMARKS ACCEPTED BY THE 
              GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ.

    (a) Determinations.--The determinations referred to in section 2(a) 
are--
            (1) a determination by the President on or before July 1, 
        2007, and every 90 days thereafter, that the Government of 
        Iraq--
                    (A) is delivering necessary Iraqi Security Forces 
                for Baghdad and protecting such Forces from political 
                interference;
                    (B) is intensifying efforts to build balanced 
                security forces throughout Iraq that provide even-
                handed security for all Iraqis;
                    (C) has given United States Armed Forces and Iraqi 
                Security Forces the authority to pursue all extremists, 
                including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias;
                    (D) is making substantial progress in meeting its 
                commitment to pursue reconciliation initiatives, 
                including the enactment of a law to provide for the 
                equitable distribution of oil and gas revenues, the 
                enactment of a revised de-Baathification law to provide 
                for the meaningful participation of Sunni Arabs at all 
                levels of the Government of Iraq, and the holding of 
                provincial elections; and
                    (E) is making substantial progress in providing the 
                even-handed delivery of services and resources to all 
                Iraqis; and
            (2) a determination by the President on or before October 
        1, 2007, and every 90 days thereafter, that the Government of 
        Iraq and United States Armed Forces are making substantial 
        progress in reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq.
    (b) Transmission to Congress.--The President shall transmit any 
determination made under subsection (a) to the Congress within three 
calendar days of making such determination, along with a report in 
classified and unclassified form detailing the basis for such 
determination.

SEC. 4. JOINT RESOLUTION DISAPPROVING PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION.

    (a) Contents of Resolution.--For purposes of this section, a joint 
resolution referred to in section 2(a) is a joint resolution of the two 
Houses of Congress, which does not contain a preamble, and the sole 
matter after the resolving clause of which is as follows: ``That the 
Congress disapproves the determination of the President relating to 
____ transmitted to the Congress pursuant to section 3(b) of the Iraq 
Benchmarks Act on _____.'', with the first blank space being filled 
with a description of the applicable determination or determinations 
and the second blank space being filled with the appropriate date.
    (b) Introduction of Resolution.--
            (1) In general.--A joint resolution described in subsection 
        (a) may be introduced at any time during the 90-day period 
        beginning on the date on which the President transmits to 
        Congress a determination or determinations described in section 
        3 in accordance with an applicable deadline described in such 
        section. During the first 30 days of the 90-day period 
        specified in the preceding sentence, a joint resolution will be 
        considered to be a joint resolution described in subsection (a) 
        only if it is introduced in the House of Representatives by the 
        majority leader or minority leader of the House or introduced 
        in the Senate by the majority leader or minority leader of the 
        Senate.
            (2) Limitation.--After a committee reports, or is 
        discharged from further consideration of, a joint resolution 
        disapproving a determination or determinations described in 
        section 3 for an applicable deadline described in such section 
        it shall not be in order to move to proceed to the 
        consideration of another joint resolution disapproving such 
        determination or determinations in either House.
    (c) Referral to Committees.--A joint resolution described in 
subsection (a) introduced in the House of Representatives shall be 
referred to the Committee on Armed Services and a joint resolution 
described in subsection (a) introduced in the Senate shall be referred 
to the Committee on Armed Services.
    (d) Discharge of Committees.--If the committee of either House to 
which a joint resolution described in subsection (a) has been referred 
has not reported such joint resolution at the end of 10 calendar days 
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays, except when the 
relevant House is in session on such a day) after its introduction, 
such committee shall be discharged from further consideration of such 
joint resolution, and such joint resolution shall be placed on the 
appropriate calendar of the relevant House.
    (e) Floor Consideration in the House of Representatives and 
Senate.--
            (1) In general.--On or after the third calendar day 
        (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays, except when 
        the relevant House is in session on such a day) after the date 
        on which the committee to which a joint resolution described in 
        subsection (a) is referred has reported, or has been discharged 
        from further consideration of, such a joint resolution, it 
        shall be in order for any Member of the relevant House to move 
        to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution. A 
        Member of the relevant House may make the motion only on the 
        day after the calendar day on which the Member announces to the 
        relevant House the Member's intention to do so. Such motion 
        shall be privileged and shall not be debatable. The motion 
        shall not be subject to amendment or to a motion to postpone. A 
        motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to 
        shall not be in order. If a motion to proceed to the 
        consideration of the joint resolution is agreed to, the 
        relevant House shall immediately proceed to consideration of 
        the joint resolution which shall remain the unfinished business 
        until disposed of.
            (2) Debate.--Debate on a joint resolution described in 
        subsection (a) and on all debatable motions and appeals in 
        connection therewith, shall be limited to not more than 36 
        hours in the House of Representatives and not more than 50 
        hours in the Senate, which shall be divided equally between 
        those favoring and those opposing the joint resolution. An 
        amendment to the joint resolution shall not be in order. A 
        motion to further limit debate shall be in order and shall not 
        be debatable. A motion to table, a motion to postpone, or a 
        motion to recommit the joint resolution shall not be in order. 
        A motion to reconsider the vote by which the joint resolution 
        is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order.
            (3) Appeals.--Appeals from the decisions of the Chair to 
        the procedure relating to a joint resolution described in 
        subsection (a) shall be decided without debate.
    (f) Consideration by the Other House.--If, before the passage by 
one House of a joint resolution described in subsection (a) of that 
House disapproving a determination or determinations described in 
section 3 for an applicable deadline described in such section, that 
House receives a joint resolution described in subsection (a) from the 
other House disapproving the same determination or determinations, then 
the following procedures shall apply:
            (1) The joint resolution of the other House shall not be 
        referred to a committee and may not be considered in the House 
        receiving it except in the case of final passage as provided in 
        paragraph (2)(B).
            (2) With respect to a joint resolution of the House 
        receiving the joint resolution--
                    (A) the procedure in that House shall be the same 
                as if no joint resolution had been received from the 
                other House; but
                    (B) the vote on final passage shall be on the joint 
                resolution of the other House.
            (3) Upon disposition of the joint resolution received from 
        the other House, it shall no longer be in order to consider the 
        joint resolution that originated in the receiving House.
    (g) Rules of House of Representatives and Senate.--This section is 
enacted by Congress--
            (1) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, respectively, and as such is 
        deemed a part of the rules of each House, respectively, and 
        such procedures supersede other rules only to the extent that 
        they are inconsistent with such other rules; and
            (2) with the full recognition of the constitutional right 
        of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the 
        procedures of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and 
        to the same extent as any other rule of that House.

SEC. 5. MANDATORY CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF NEW PLAN TO STABILIZE IRAQ.

    (a) In General.--If the President proposes a new plan to stabilize 
Iraq after the date of the enactment of this Act and prior to the 
redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq, then--
            (1) the President shall promptly transmit a copy of such 
        plan to Congress; and
            (2) the President may implement such plan only if a joint 
        resolution described in subsection (b) approving such plan is 
        enacted into law.
    (b) Joint Resolution Approving New Plan To Stabilize Iraq.--
            (1) Contents of joint resolution.--For purposes of this 
        section, a joint resolution referred to in subsection (a) is a 
        joint resolution of the two Houses of Congress, the sole matter 
        after the resolving clause of which is as follows: ``That the 
        Congress approves the plan to stabilize Iraq transmitted by the 
        President to the Congress pursuant to section 5(a)(1) of the 
        Iraq Benchmarks Act on_____.'', with the blank space being 
        filled with the appropriate date.
            (2) Procedures in the house of representatives and 
        senate.--The procedures described in subsections (b) through 
        (f) of section 4 shall apply to a joint resolution described in 
        paragraph (1) in the same manner and to the same extent as such 
        procedures apply to a joint resolution described in section 
        4(a).

SEC. 6. DEFINITION.

    As used in this Act, the term ``Armed Forces'' has the meaning 
given the term in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code.
                                 <all>