[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 112 (Friday, July 13, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9214-S9224]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 2189. Mr. COLEMAN (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Thune, 
Mr. McConnell, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Allard, Mr. Craig, Mr. 
Lugar, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Graham, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Hagel, 
Mr. Gregg, Mr. Ensign, Mr. McCain, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Dole, Mr. 
Brownback, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Bunning, and Mr. 
Corker) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the 
bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ____. FAIRNESS DOCTRINE PROHIBITED.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2007''.
       (b) Fairness Doctrine Prohibited.--Title III of the 
     Communications Act of 1934 is amended by inserting after 
     section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303) the following new section:

     ``SEC. 303A. LIMITATION ON GENERAL POWERS: FAIRNESS DOCTRINE.

       ``Notwithstanding section 303 or any other provision of 
     this Act or any other Act authorizing the Commission to 
     prescribe rules, regulations, policies, doctrines, standards, 
     or other requirements, the Commission shall not have the 
     authority to prescribe any rule, regulation, policy, 
     doctrine, standard, or other requirement that has the purpose 
     or effect of reinstating or repromulgating (in whole or in 
     part) the requirement that broadcasters, including the 
     American Forces Network, present opposing viewpoints on 
     controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred 
     to as the `Fairness Doctrine', as repealed in General 
     Fairness Doctrine Obligations of Broadcast Licensees, 50 Fed. 
     Reg. 35418 (1985).''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2190. Mr. McCAIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 269, line 20, insert after ``management.'' the 
     following: ``The position of Principal Deputy shall be 
     designated as a critical acquisition position under section 
     1733 of this title.''.
       On page 270, line 10, insert after ``management.'' the 
     following: ``The position of Principal Deputy shall be 
     designated as a critical acquisition position under section 
     1733 of this title.''.
       On page 270, line 23, insert after ``management.'' the 
     following: ``The position of Principal Deputy shall be 
     designated as a critical acquisition position under section 
     1733 of this title.''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2191. Mr. LAUTENBERG (for himself, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Kerry, Mrs. 
Lincoln, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Snowe, Ms. 
Cantwell, Mr. Tester, and Mr. Baucus) submitted an amendment intended 
to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. 703. LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN INCREASES IN HEALTH CARE 
                   COSTS FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) Career members of the uniformed services and their 
     families endure unique and extraordinary demands, and make 
     extraordinary sacrifices, over the course of 20-year to 30-
     year careers in protecting freedom for all Americans.
       (2) The nature and extent of these demands and sacrifices 
     are never so evident as in wartime, not only during the 
     current Global War on Terrorism, but also during the wars of 
     the last 60 years when current retired members of the Armed 
     Forces were on continuous call to go in harm's way when and 
     as needed.
       (3) The demands and sacrifices are such that few Americans 
     are willing to bear or accept them for a multi-decade career.
       (4) A primary benefit of enduring the extraordinary 
     sacrifices inherent in a military career is a range of 
     extraordinary retirement benefits that a grateful Nation 
     provides for those who choose to subordinate much of their 
     personal life to the national interest for so many years.
       (5) Many private sector firms are curtailing health 
     benefits and shifting significantly higher costs to their 
     employees, and one effect of such curtailment is that retired 
     members of the uniformed services are turning for health care 
     services to the Department of Defense, and its TRICARE 
     program, for the health care benefits in retirement that they 
     earned by their service in uniform.
       (6) In some cases, civilian employers establish financial 
     incentives for employees who are also eligible for 
     participation in the TRICARE program to receive health care 
     benefits under that program rather than under the health care 
     benefits programs of such employers.
       (7) While the Department of Defense has made some efforts 
     to contain increases in the cost of the TRICARE program, a 
     large part of those efforts has been devoted to shifting a 
     larger share of the costs of benefits under that program to 
     retired members of the uniformed services.
       (8) The cumulative increase in enrollment fees, 
     deductibles, and copayments being proposed by the Department 
     of Defense for health care benefits under the TRICARE program 
     far exceeds the 33-percent increase in military retired pay 
     since such fees, deductibles, and copayments were first 
     required on the part of retired members of the uniformed 
     services 11 years ago.
       (9) Proposals of the Department of Defense for increases in 
     the enrollment fees, deductibles, and copayments of retired 
     members of the uniformed services who are participants in the 
     TRICARE program fail to recognize adequately that such 
     members paid the equivalent of enormous in-kind premiums for 
     health care in retirement through their extended sacrifices 
     by service in uniform.
       (10) Some of the Nation's health care providers refuse to 
     accept participants in the TRICARE program as patients 
     because that program pays them significantly less than 
     commercial insurance programs, and imposes unique 
     administrative requirements, for health care services.
       (11) The Department of Defense has chosen to count the 
     accrual deposit to the Department of Defense Military Retiree 
     Health

[[Page S9215]]

     Care Fund against the budget of the Department of Defense, 
     contrary to the requirements of section 1116 of title 10, 
     United States Code.
       (12) Senior officials of the Department of Defense leaders 
     have reported to Congress that counting such deposits against 
     the budget of the Department of Defense is impinging on other 
     readiness needs of the Armed Forces, including weapons 
     programs, an inappropriate situation which section 1116 of 
     title 10, United States Code, was intended expressly to 
     prevent.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Department of Defense and the Nation have a 
     committed obligation to provide health care benefits to 
     retired members of the uniformed services that exceeds the 
     obligation of corporate employers to provide health care 
     benefits to their employees;
       (2) the Department of Defense has many additional options 
     to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that 
     do not disadvantage retired members of the uniformed services 
     who participate or seek to participate in the TRICARE 
     program, and should pursue any and all such options rather 
     than seeking large increases for enrollment fees, 
     deductibles, and copayments for such retirees, and their 
     families or survivors, who do participate in that program;
       (3) any percentage increase in fees, deductibles, and 
     copayments that may be considered under the TRICARE program 
     for retired members of the uniformed services and their 
     families or survivors should not in any case exceed the 
     percentage increase in military retired pay; and
       (4) any percentage increase in fees, deductibles, and 
     copayments under the TRICARE program that may be considered 
     for members of the uniformed services who are currently 
     serving on active duty or in the Selected Reserve, and for 
     the families of such members, should not exceed the 
     percentage increase in basic pay for such members.
       (c) Pharmacy Benefits Program.--Section 1074g(a)(6) of 
     title 10, United Stated Code, is amended by adding at the end 
     the following new subparagraph:
       ``(C) The amount of any cost sharing requirements under 
     this paragraph may not be increased in any year by a 
     percentage that exceeds the percentage increase of the most 
     recent increase in retired pay for members of the armed 
     forces under section 1401a(b)(2) of this title. To the extent 
     that such increase for any year is less than one dollar, the 
     accumulated increase may be carried over from year to year, 
     rounded to the nearest dollar.''.
       (d) Premiums for TRICARE Standard for Reserve Component 
     Members Who Commit to Service in the Selected Reserve.--
     Section 1076d(d)(3) of such title is amended--
       (1) by striking ``The monthly amount'' and inserting ``(A) 
     Subject to subparagraph (B), the monthly amount''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(B) Effective as of October 1, 2007, the percentage 
     increase in the amount of the premium in effect for a month 
     for TRICARE Standard coverage under this section may not 
     exceed a percentage equal to the percentage of the most 
     recent increase in the rate of basic pay authorized for 
     members of the uniformed services for a year.''.
       (e) Copayments Under CHAMPUS.--Paragraph (3) of section 
     1086(b) of such title is amended in the first sentence by 
     striking ``during the period beginning on April 1, 2006, and 
     ending on September 30, 2007.'' and inserting ``after March 
     31, 2006''.
       (f) Prohibition on Enrollment Fees for Certain Persons 
     Under CHAMPUS.--Section 1086(b) of such title is further 
     amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(5) A person covered by subsection (c) may not be charged 
     an enrollment fee for coverage under this section.''.
       (g) Automatic Enrollment for Certain Persons Under 
     CHAMPUS.--Section 1086(b) of such title is further amended by 
     adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(6) A person covered by subsection (c) shall not be 
     subject to denial of claims for coverage under this section 
     for failure to enroll for such coverage. To the extent 
     enrollment may be required, enrollment shall be automatic for 
     any such person filing a claim under this section.''.
       (h) Premiums and Other Charges Under TRICARE.--Section 
     1097(e) of such title is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(1)'' before ``The Secretary of 
     Defense''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(2) Effective as of October 1, 2007, the percentage 
     increase in the amount of any premium, deductible, copayment 
     or other charge prescribed by the Secretary under this 
     subsection may not exceed the percentage increase of the most 
     recent increase in retired pay for members and former members 
     of the armed forces under section 1041a(b)(2) of this 
     title.''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2192. Mr. LEVIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1204. ASSISTANCE FOR GLOBAL PEACE OPERATIONS INITIATIVE 
                   PARTNER COUNTRIES DEPLOYING FOR PEACE 
                   OPERATIONS.

       (a) In General.--During fiscal years 2008 and 2009, the 
     Secretary of Defense may, with the concurrence of the 
     Secretary of State, provide assistance to foreign countries 
     that have committed to deploying units trained by the United 
     States or its partners under the Global Peace Operations 
     Initiative (GPOI) to peace operations.
       (b) Selection of Countries.--The Secretary of Defense and 
     the Secretary of State shall jointly select the countries 
     described in subsection (a) for which assistance may be 
     provided under that subsection.
       (c) Types of Assistance.--The assistance provided under 
     subsection (a) may include only the following:
       (1) Inspection of--
       (A) units described in subsection (a) in order to determine 
     their readiness and ability to carry out peace operations; 
     and
       (B) the equipment depots to be used by such units in 
     deployments for peace operations.
       (2) Identification of the training and equipping 
     shortfalls, if any, of the units described in subsection (a).
       (3) Provision of additional training to the units described 
     in subsection (a), if required, in order to ensure that such 
     units can carry out peace operations.
       (4) Provision of equipment for units described in 
     subsection (a), if required, pending deployment for a peace 
     operation.
       (5) Assistance in addressing deficiencies in personnel with 
     specialized skills of units described in subsection (a) or in 
     headquarters staffs of such units.
       (6) Facilitation of the deployment of units described in 
     subsection (a), if required, for missions under a peace 
     operation.
       (d) Formulation of Assistance.--The Secretary of Defense 
     and the Secretary of State shall jointly formulate the 
     provision of assistance under subsection (a).
       (e) Notice on Use of Authority.--
       (1) Requirement for notice.--Whenever the Secretary of 
     Defense exercises the authority under subsection (a) by 
     taking the action described in subsection (b), the Secretary 
     shall notify the committees of Congress specified in 
     paragraph (3) of the exercise of the authority. Any such 
     notification shall be prepared in coordination with the 
     Secretary of State.
       (2) Elements of notice.--Any notification under paragraph 
     (1) on the exercise of authority shall include--
       (A) a description of the country and unit or units to be 
     provided assistance;
       (B) a description of the type of assistance to be provided; 
     and
       (C) a statement of the amount of funding to be provided for 
     each country and for each type of assistance.
       (3) Committees of congress.--The committees of Congress 
     specified in this subsection are the following:
       (A) The Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate.
       (B) The Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
       (f) Respect for Human Rights.--Assistance may not be 
     provided under subsection (a) to a unit of forces unless the 
     Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State jointly 
     determine that the unit and its personnel maintain a record 
     on human rights that meets requirements of the following:
       (1) Section 8060 of the Department of Defense 
     Appropriations Act, 2007 (Public Law 109-289; 120 Stat. 
     1287).
       (2) Section 551 of the Foreign Operations, Export 
     Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2006 
     (Public Law 109-102; 119 Stat. 2218).
       (g) Applicable Law.--Any services, defense articles, or 
     funds provided under this section shall be subject to the 
     authorities and limitations in the Foreign Assistance Act of 
     1961, the Arms Export Control Act, and any Acts making 
     appropriations to carry out such Acts.
       (h) Funding.--Of the amount authorized to be appropriated 
     by section 301 for operation and maintenance for the 
     Department of Defense, $200,000,000 may be available in 
     fiscal years 2008 and 2009 for the provision of assistance 
     under subsection (a).
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2193. Mr. CHAMBLISS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
to amendment SA 2063 submitted by Mr. Salazar (for himself, Mr. 
Alexander, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Casey, Mr. Gregg, Mrs. Lincoln, 
Mr. Sununu, Mr. Domenici, Ms. Collins, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. 
Landrieu, and Mrs. McCaskill) and intended to be proposed to the bill 
H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 5, strike line 4 and all that follows through the 
     end and insert the following:

[[Page S9216]]

       (9) The President announced a new strategy for United 
     States involvement in Iraq to the American people on January 
     10, 2007, which included sending approximately 30,000 
     additional troops to Iraq as well as increasing United States 
     diplomatic efforts with respect to Iraq.
       (10) Pursuant to the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, 
     Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 
     2007 (Public Law 110-28), the President submitted to Congress 
     a report on the progress of this new strategy on July 12, 
     2007.
       (11) According to that report, the United States has filled 
     one-half of the 300 additional personnel slots for the 
     Provincial Reconstruction Teams which are part of the 
     President's new strategy, and the full complement of those 
     personnel will be in place in December 2007.
       (12) The last of the 30,000 additional troops that the 
     President announced in January 2007 that he would send to 
     Iraq as a part of his new strategy became fully operational 
     in Iraq on June 15, 2007.

     SEC. 1543. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS IN IRAQ.

       It is the sense of Congress that, consistent with the 
     recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, the United States 
     Government should--
       (1) establish a ``New Diplomatic Offensive'' to deal with 
     the problems of Iraq and of the region;
       (2) support the unity and territorial integrity of Iraq;
       (3) encourage other countries in the region to stop the 
     destabilizing interventions and actions of Iraq's neighbors;
       (4) secure the borders of Iraq, including through the use 
     of joint patrols with neighboring countries;
       (5) prevent the expansion of the instability and conflict 
     beyond the borders of Iraq;
       (6) promote economic assistance, commerce, trade, political 
     support, and, if possible, military assistance for the 
     Government of Iraq from non-neighboring Muslim nations;
       (7) energize the governments of other countries to support 
     national political reconciliation in Iraq;
       (8) encourage the governments of other countries to 
     validate the legitimate sovereignty of Iraq by resuming 
     diplomatic relations, where appropriate, and reestablishing 
     embassies in Baghdad;
       (9) assist the Government of Iraq in establishing active 
     working embassies in key capitals in the region;
       (10) help the Government of Iraq reach a mutually 
     acceptable agreement on the future of Kirkuk;
       (11) assist the Government of Iraq in achieving certain 
     security, political, and economic milestones, including 
     better performance on issues such as national reconciliation, 
     equitable distribution of oil revenues, and the dismantling 
     of militias;
       (12) encourage the holding of a meeting or conference in 
     Baghdad, supported by the United States and the Government of 
     Iraq, of the Organization of the Islamic Conference or the 
     Arab League, both to assist the Government of Iraq in 
     promoting national reconciliation in Iraq and to reestablish 
     their diplomatic presence in Iraq;
       (13) seek the creation of the Iraq International Support 
     Group to assist Iraq in ways the Government of Iraq would 
     desire, attempting to strengthen Iraq's sovereignty;
       (14) engage with the Governments of Iran and Syria in order 
     to obtain their commitment to constructive policies toward 
     Iraq and other regional issues;
       (15) provide additional political, economic, and military 
     support for Afghanistan including resources that might become 
     available as United States combat forces are redeployed from 
     Iraq;
       (16) remain in contact with the Iraqi leadership, conveying 
     the clear message that there must be action by the Government 
     of Iraq to make substantial progress toward the achievement 
     of the milestones described in section 1550, and conveying in 
     as much detail as possible the substance of these exchanges 
     in order to keep the American people, the Iraqi people, and 
     the people of countries in the region well informed of 
     progress in these areas;
       (17) make clear the willingness of the United States 
     Government to continue training, assistance, and support for 
     Iraq's security forces, and to continue political, military, 
     and economic support for the Government of Iraq until Iraq 
     becomes more capable of governing, defending, and sustaining 
     itself;
       (18) make clear that, should the Government of Iraq not 
     make substantial progress toward the achievement of the 
     milestones described in section 1550, the United States shall 
     reduce its political, military, or economic support for the 
     Government of Iraq;
       (19) make clear that the United States Government does not 
     seek to establish permanent military bases in Iraq;
       (20) restate that the United States Government does not 
     seek to control the oil resources of Iraq;
       (21) make active efforts to engage all parties in Iraq, 
     with the exception of al Qaeda;
       (22) encourage dialogue between sectarian communities and 
     press religious leaders inside and outside of Iraq to speak 
     out on behalf of peace and reconciliation;
       (23) support the presence of neutral international experts 
     as advisors to the Government of Iraq on the processes of 
     disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of militias 
     and other armed groups not under the control of the 
     Government of Iraq; and
       (24) ensure that reconstruction efforts in Iraq consist of 
     great involvement by and with international partners that 
     actively participate in the design and construction of 
     projects.

     SEC. 1544. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON SECURITY AND MILITARY 
                   FORCES.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to formulate 
     and implement with the Government of Iraq a plan, consistent 
     with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, that--
       (1) gives the highest priority to the training, equipping, 
     advising, and support for security and military forces in 
     Iraq and to supporting counterterrorism operations in Iraq; 
     and
       (2) supports the providing of more and better equipment for 
     the Iraqi Army by encouraging the Government of Iraq to 
     accelerate its requests under the Foreign Military Sales 
     program and, as United States combat brigades redeploy from 
     Iraq, provides for the transfer of certain United States 
     military equipment to Iraqi forces.

     SEC. 1545. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON STRENGTHENING THE UNITED 
                   STATES MILITARY.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to formulate 
     and implement a plan, consistent with the recommendations of 
     the Iraq Study Group, that--
       (1) directs the Secretary of Defense to build healthy 
     relations between the civilian and military sectors, by 
     creating an environment where senior military leaders feel 
     free to offer independent advice to the civilian leadership 
     of the United States Government;
       (2) emphasizes training and education programs for the 
     forces that have returned to the United States in order to 
     restore the United States Armed Forces to a high level of 
     readiness for global contingencies;
       (3) provides sufficient funds to restore military equipment 
     to full functionality over the next 5 years; and
       (4) assesses the full future budgetary impact of the war in 
     Iraq and its potential impact on--
       (A) the future readiness of United States military forces;
       (B) the ability of the United States Armed Forces to 
     recruit and retain high-quality personnel;
       (C) needed investments in military procurement and in 
     research and development; and
       (D) the budgets of other Federal agencies involved in the 
     stability and reconstruction effort in Iraq.

     SEC. 1546. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON POLICE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE 
                   IN IRAQ.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to formulate 
     and implement with the Government of Iraq a plan, consistent 
     with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, that--
       (1) transfers the Iraqi National Police to the Ministry of 
     Defense, where the police commando units will become part of 
     the new Iraqi Army;
       (2) transfers the Iraqi Border Police to the Ministry of 
     Defense, which would have total responsibility for border 
     control and external security;
       (3) establishes greater responsibility for the Iraqi Police 
     Service to conduct criminal investigations and expands its 
     cooperation with other elements in the judicial system in 
     Iraq in order to better control crime and protect Iraqi 
     civilians;
       (4) establishes a process of organizational transformation, 
     including efforts to expand the capability and reach of the 
     current major crime unit, to exert more authority over local 
     police forces, and to give sole authority to the Ministry of 
     the Interior to pay police salaries and disburse financial 
     support to local police;
       (5) proceeds with efforts to identify, register, and 
     control the Facilities Protection Service;
       (6) directs the Department of Defense to continue its 
     mission to train Iraqi National Police and the Iraqi Border 
     Police, which shall be placed within the Iraqi Ministry of 
     Defense;
       (7) directs the Department of Justice to proceed with the 
     mission of training the police forces remaining under the 
     Ministry of the Interior;
       (8) provides for funds from the Government of Iraq to 
     expand and upgrade communications equipment and motor 
     vehicles for the Iraqi Police Service;
       (9) directs the Attorney General to lead the work of 
     organizational transformation in the Ministry of the Interior 
     and creates a strategic plan and standard administrative 
     procedures, codes of conduct, and operational measures for 
     Iraqis; and
       (10) directs the Attorney General to establish courts, 
     train judges, prosecutors, and investigators, and create 
     strongly supported and funded institutions and practices in 
     Iraq to fight corruption.

     SEC. 1547. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON OIL SECTOR IN IRAQ.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to formulate 
     and implement with the Government of Iraq a plan, consistent 
     with the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, that--
       (1) provides technical assistance in drafting legislation 
     to implement the February 27, 2007, agreement by Iraq's 
     Council of Ministers on principles for the equitable sharing 
     of oil resources and revenues;
       (2) encourages the Government of Iraq to accelerate 
     contracting for the comprehensive oil well work-overs in the 
     southern

[[Page S9217]]

     fields needed to increase oil production, while ensuring that 
     the United States no longer funds such infrastructure 
     projects;
       (3) supports the Iraqi military and private security forces 
     in their efforts to protect oil infrastructure and 
     contractors;
       (4) implements metering at both ends of the oil supply line 
     to immediately improve accountability in the oil sector;
       (5) in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund, 
     encourages the Government of Iraq to reduce subsidies in the 
     energy sector;
       (6) encourages investment in Iraq's oil sector by the 
     international community and by international energy 
     companies;
       (7) assists Iraqi leaders to reorganize the national oil 
     industry as a commercial enterprise, in order to enhance 
     efficiency, transparency, and accountability;
       (8) encourages the Government of Iraq to post all oil 
     contracts, volumes, and prices on the Internet so that Iraqis 
     and outside observers can track exports and export revenues;
       (9) supports the efforts of the World Bank to ensure that 
     best practices are used in contracting; and
       (10) provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Oil 
     for enhancing maintenance, improving the payments process, 
     managing cash flows, improving contracting and auditing, and 
     updating professional training programs for management and 
     technical personnel.

     SEC. 1548. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON IMPROVING ASSISTANCE 
                   PROGRAMS IN IRAQ.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to formulate 
     and implement a plan, consistent with the recommendations of 
     the Iraq Study Group, that--
       (1) provides for the United States to take the lead in 
     funding assistance requests from the United Nations High 
     Commissioner for Refugees and other humanitarian agencies;
       (2) creates a new Senior Advisor for Economic 
     Reconstruction in Iraq reporting to the President, with the 
     authority to bring interagency unity of effort to the policy, 
     budget, and implementation of economic reconstruction 
     programs in Iraq and the authority to serve as the principal 
     point of contact with United States partners in the overall 
     reconstruction effort;
       (3) gives the chief of mission in Iraq the authority to 
     spend significant funds through a program structured along 
     the lines of the Commander's Emergency Response Program, with 
     the authority to rescind funding from programs and projects--
       (A) in which the Government of Iraq is not demonstrating 
     effective partnership; or
       (B) that do not demonstrate substantial progress toward 
     achievement of the milestones described in section 1550;
       (4) authorizes and implements a more flexible security 
     assistance program for Iraq, breaking down the barriers to 
     effective interagency cooperation; and
       (5) grants authority to merge United States assistance with 
     assistance from international donors and Iraqi participants 
     for the purpose of carrying out joint assistance projects.

     SEC. 1549. STATEMENT OF POLICY ON BUDGET PREPARATION, 
                   PRESENTATION, AND REVIEW.

       It shall be the policy of the United States to formulate 
     and implement a plan, consistent with the recommendations of 
     the Iraq Study Group, that--
       (1) directs the President to include the costs for the war 
     in Iraq in the annual budget request;
       (2) directs the Secretary of State, the Secretary of 
     Defense, and the Director of National Intelligence to provide 
     United States military and civilian personnel in Iraq the 
     highest possible priority in obtaining professional language 
     proficiency and cultural training;
       (3) directs the United States Government to provide for 
     long-term training for Federal agencies that participate in 
     complex stability operations like those in Iraq and 
     Afghanistan;
       (4) creates training for United States Government personnel 
     to carry out civilian tasks associated with complex stability 
     operations; and
       (5) directs the Director of National Intelligence and the 
     Secretary of Defense to devote greater analytic resources to 
     understanding the threats and sources of violence in Iraq and 
     institute immediate changes in the collection of data and 
     violence and the sources of violence to provide a more 
     accurate picture of events on the ground in Iraq.

     SEC. 1550. CONDITIONS FOR CONTINUED UNITED STATES SUPPORT IN 
                   IRAQ.

       (a) In General.--It shall be the policy of the United 
     States to condition continued United States political, 
     military and economic support for Iraq upon the demonstration 
     by the Government of Iraq of sufficient political will and 
     the making of substantial progress toward achieving the 
     milestones described in subsection (b), and to base the 
     decision to transfer command and control over Iraqi security 
     forces units from the United States to Iraq in part upon such 
     factors.
       (b) Milestones.--The milestones referred to in subsection 
     (a) are the following:
       (1) Promptly establishing a fair process for considering 
     amendments to the constitution of Iraq that promote lasting 
     national reconciliation in Iraq.
       (2) Enacting legislation or establishing other mechanisms 
     to revise the de-Baathification laws in Iraq to encourage the 
     employment in the Government of Iraq of qualified 
     professionals, irrespective of ethnic or political 
     affiliation, including ex-Baathists who were not leading 
     figures of the Saddam Hussein regime.
       (3) Enacting legislation or establishing other binding 
     mechanisms to ensure the sharing of all Iraqi oil revenues 
     among all segments of Iraqi society in an equitable manner.
       (4) Holding free and fair provincial elections in Iraq at 
     the earliest date practicable.
       (5) Enacting legislation or establishing other mechanisms 
     to ensure the rights of women and the rights of all minority 
     communities in Iraq are protected.

     SEC. 1551. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON REDEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES 
                   FORCES FROM IRAQ.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) with the implementation of the policies specified in 
     sections 1544 through 1550 and the engagement in the 
     increased diplomatic efforts specified in section 1543, and 
     as additional Iraqi brigades are being deployed, and subject 
     to unexpected developments in the security situation on the 
     ground, all United States combat brigades not necessary for 
     force protection could be redeployed from Iraq by the first 
     quarter of 2008, except for those that are essential for--
       (A) protecting United States and coalition personnel and 
     infrastructure;
       (B) training, equipping, and advising Iraqi forces;
       (C) conducting targeted counterterrorism operations;
       (D) search and rescue; and
       (E) rapid reaction and special operations;
       (2) except in the event of unforeseen circumstances or 
     developments, the President's new strategy for Iraq, 
     announced in January 2007, should not be significantly 
     altered until General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker report 
     to Congress on the progress of that strategy in September 
     2007; and
       (3) the redeployment should be implemented as part of a 
     comprehensive diplomatic, political, and economic strategy 
     that includes sustained engagement with Iraq's neighbors and 
     the international community for the purpose of working 
     collectively to bring stability to Iraq.

     SEC. 1552. REPORT ON POLICY IMPLEMENTATION.

       Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, the President shall 
     submit to Congress a report on the actions that have been 
     taken to implement the policies specified in sections 1543 
     through 1550.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2194. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. PROHIBITION ON USE OF EARMARKS TO AWARD NO BID 
                   CONTRACTS AND NONCOMPETITIVE GRANTS.

       (a) Prohibition.--
       (1) Contracts.--
       (A) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this Act, all contracts awarded through congressional 
     initiatives shall be awarded using competitive procedures in 
     accordance with the requirements of section 303 of the 
     Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (41 
     U.S.C. 253), section 2304 of title 10, United States Code, 
     and the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
       (B) Bid requirement.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), 
     no contract may be awarded through a congressional initiative 
     unless more than one bid is received for such contract.
       (2) Grants.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
     Act, no funds may be awarded by grant or cooperative 
     agreement through a congressional initiative unless the 
     process used to award such grant or cooperative agreement 
     uses competitive procedures to select the grantee or award 
     recipient. Except as provided in paragraph (3), no such grant 
     may be awarded unless applications for such grant or 
     cooperative agreement are received from two or more 
     applicants that are not from the same organization and do not 
     share any financial, fiduciary, or other organizational 
     relationship.
       (3) Waiver authority.--
       (A) In general.--If an agency head does not receive more 
     than one bid for a contract under paragraph (1)(B) or does 
     not receive more than one application from unaffiliated 
     applicants for a grant or cooperative agreement under 
     paragraph (2), the agency head may waive such bid or 
     application requirement if the agency head determines that 
     the contract, grant, or cooperative agreement is essential to 
     the mission of the agency.
       (B) Congressional notification.--If an agency head waives a 
     bid requirement under subparagraph (A), the agency head must, 
     not later than 10 days after exercising such waiver, notify 
     Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Oversight and 
     Government Reform of the House of Representatives of the 
     waiver.
       (b) Annual Report.--

[[Page S9218]]

       (1) In general.--Not later than December 31, 2008, and 
     December 31 of each year thereafter, the head of each 
     executive agency shall submit to Congress a report on 
     congressional initiatives for which amounts were appropriated 
     or otherwise made available for the fiscal year ending during 
     such year.
       (2) Content.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include with respect to each contract and grant awarded 
     through a congressional initiative--
       (A) the name of the recipient of the funds awarded through 
     such contract or grant;
       (B) the reason or reasons such recipient was selected for 
     such contract or grant; and
       (C) the number of entities that competed for such contract 
     or grant.
       (3) Publication.--Each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall be made publicly available through the Internet website 
     of the executive agency.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Congressional initiative.--The term ``congressional 
     initiative'' means a provision of law or a directive 
     contained within a committee report or joint statement of 
     managers of an appropriations Act that specifies--
       (A) the identity of a person or entity selected to carry 
     out a project, including a defense system, for which funds 
     are appropriated or otherwise made available by that 
     provision of law or directive and that was not requested by 
     the President in a budget submitted to Congress; and
       (B) the amount of the funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available for such project.
       (2) Executive agency.--The term ``executive agency'' has 
     the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Office of 
     Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403).
       (d) Applicability.--This section shall apply with respect 
     to funds appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal 
     years beginning after September 30, 2007.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2195. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. JOINT SPACE INTELLIGENT DECISION SUPPORT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense may not proceed 
     with the Joint Space Intelligent Decision Support (JSDIS) 
     program unless the Secretary determines that the program is 
     necessary and essential to the national defense of the United 
     States.
       (b) Full and Open Competition.--If the Secretary determines 
     to proceed with the Joint Space Intelligence Decision Support 
     program in accordance with subsection (a), the Secretary may 
     award the contract for that program only after full and open 
     competition.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2196. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. NDIC CLOSURE.

       Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, none of 
     the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be 
     used for the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) located 
     in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, except those activities related 
     to the permanent closing of the NDIC and to the relocation of 
     activities performed at NDIC deemed necessary or essential by 
     the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the 
     appropriate Federal agencies.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2197. Mr. MARTINEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for 
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of 
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of title XXVIII, add the following:

     SEC. 2864. REPEAL OF MORATORIUM ON IMPROVEMENTS AT FORT 
                   BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO.

       Section 1507 of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Public Law 106-398; 
     114 Stat. 1654A-355) is repealed.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2198. Mr. MARTINEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for 
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of 
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, 
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title V, add the following:

     SEC. 555. NAVY SENIOR RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS 
                   PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, CORAL 
                   GABLES, FLORIDA.

       The Secretary of the Navy may establish and maintain a 
     Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program under section 
     2102 of title 10, United States Code, at the University of 
     Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2199. Mr. REED (for himself and Ms. Collins) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 256. COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DEFENSE 
                   EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE 
                   RESEARCH.

       (a) Review.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
     States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of 
     the Senate and the House of Representatives an assessment of 
     the effectiveness of the Defense Experimental Program to 
     Stimulate Competitive Research.
       (b) Assessment.--The report under subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) A description and assessment of the tangible results 
     and progress toward the objectives of the program, 
     including--
       (A) an identification of any past program activities that 
     led to, or were fundamental to, applications used by, or 
     supportive of, operational users; and
       (B) an assessment of whether the program has expanded the 
     national research infrastructure.
       (2) An assessment whether the activities undertaken under 
     the program are consistent with the statute authorizing the 
     program.
       (3) An assessment whether the various elements of the 
     program, such as structure, funding, staffing, project 
     solicitation and selection, and administration, are working 
     effectively and efficiently to support the effective 
     execution of the program
       (4) A description and assessment of past and ongoing 
     activities of State planning committees under the program in 
     supporting the achievement of the objectives of the program.
       (5) An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of 
     having an institution-based formula for qualification to 
     participate in the program when compared with the advantages 
     and disadvantages of having a State-based formula for 
     qualification to participate in supporting defense missions 
     and the objective of expanding the Nation's defense research 
     infrastructure.
       (6) An identification of mechanisms for improving the 
     management and implementation of the program, including 
     modification of the statute authorizing the program, 
     Department regulations, program structure, funding levels, 
     funding strategy, or the activities of the State committees
       (7) Any other matters the Comptroller General considers 
     appropriate.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2200. Mr. INHOFE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle E of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1070. CONDUCT BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND 
                   VETERANS OUT OF UNIFORM DURING HOISTING, 
                   LOWERING, OR PASSING OF FLAG.

       Section 9 of title 4, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``all persons present'' and all that follows through 
     the end and inserting ``those present in uniform should 
     render the military salute. Members of the Armed Forces and 
     veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the 
     military salute. All other persons present should face the 
     flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the 
     heart, or if applicable, remove their headdress with their 
     right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being 
     over the heart. Citizens of other countries should stand at 
     attention. All such conduct toward the flag in a moving 
     column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes.''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2201. Mr. INHOFE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by

[[Page S9219]]

him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle A of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1205. REPEAL OF LIMITATIONS ON MILITARY ASSISTANCE UNDER 
                   THE AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBERS' PROTECTION ACT OF 
                   2002.

       (a) Repeal of Limitations.--Section 2007 of the American 
     Servicemembers' Protection Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 7426) is 
     repealed.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--Such Act is further amended--
       (1) in section 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7422)--
       (A) in subsection (a)--
       (i) in the heading, by striking ``Sections 5 and 7'' and 
     inserting ``Section 2005''; and
       (ii) by striking ``sections 2005 and 2007'' and inserting 
     ``section 2005'';
       (B) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in the heading, by striking ``Sections 5 and 7'' and 
     inserting ``Section 2005''; and
       (ii) by striking ``sections 2005 and 2007'' and inserting 
     ``section 2005'';
       (C) in subsection (c)(2)(A), by striking ``sections 2005 
     and 2007'' and inserting ``section 2005'';
       (D) in subsection (d), by striking ``sections 2005 and 
     2007'' and inserting ``section 2005''; and
       (E) in subsection (e), by striking ``2006, and 2007'' and 
     inserting ``and 2006''; and
       (2) in section 2013 (22 U.S.C. 7432), by striking paragraph 
     (13).
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2202. Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, and Mrs. Clinton) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 
1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military 
activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and 
for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe 
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle A of title VI, add the following:

     SEC. 604. PAYMENT OF INACTIVE DUTY TRAINING TRAVEL COSTS FOR 
                   CERTAIN SELECTED RESERVE MEMBERS.

       (a) Payment of Travel Costs Authorized.--
       (1) In general.--Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, 
     is amended by inserting after section 408 the following new 
     section:

     ``Sec. 408a. Travel and transportation allowances: inactive 
       duty training

       ``(a) Allowance Authorized.--Under regulations prescribed 
     by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary concerned may 
     reimburse a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready 
     Reserve described in subsection (b) for travel expenses for 
     travel to an inactive duty training location to perform 
     inactive duty training.
       ``(b) Eligible Members.--A member of the Selected Reserve 
     of the Ready Reserve described in this subsection is a member 
     who--
       ``(1) is--
       ``(A) qualified in a skill designated as critically short 
     by the Secretary concerned;
       ``(B) assigned to a unit of the Selected Reserve with a 
     critical manpower shortage, or is in a pay grade in the 
     member's reserve component with a critical manpower shortage; 
     or
       ``(C) assigned to a unit or position that is disestablished 
     or relocated as a result of defense base closure or 
     realignment or another force structure reallocation; and
       ``(2) commutes a distance from the member's permanent 
     residence to the member's inactive duty training location 
     that is outside the normal commuting distance (as determined 
     under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense) for 
     that commute.
       ``(c) Maximum Amount.--The maximum amount of reimbursement 
     provided a member under subsection (a) for each round trip to 
     a training location shall be $300.''.
       (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 7 of such title is amended by inserting 
     after the item relating to section 408 the following new 
     item:

``408a. Travel and transportation allowances: inactive duty 
              training.''.

       (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect on October 1, 2007. No reimbursement may be 
     provided under section 408a of title 37, United States Code 
     (as added by subsection (a)), for travel costs incurred 
     before October 1, 2007.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2203. Mr. GREGG (for himself and Mrs. Boxer) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1070. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON FAMILY CARE PLANS AND THE 
                   DEPLOYMENT OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO 
                   HAVE MINOR DEPENDENTS.

       (a) In General.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) single parents who are members of the Armed Forces with 
     minor dependents, and dual-military couples with minor 
     dependents, should develop and maintain effective family care 
     plans that--
       (A) address all reasonably foreseeable situations that 
     would result in the absence of the single parent or dual-
     military couple in order to provide for the efficient 
     transfer of responsibility for the minor dependents to an 
     alternative caregiver; and
       (B) are consistent with Department of Defense Instruction 
     1342.19, dated July 13, 1992, and any applicable regulations 
     of the military department concerned; and
       (2) the Secretary of Defense should establish procedures to 
     ensure that if a single parent and both spouses in a dual-
     military couple are required to deploy to a covered area--
       (A) requests by the single parent or dual-military couple 
     for deferments of deployment due to unforeseen circumstances 
     are evaluated rapidly; and
       (B) appropriate steps are taken to ensure adequate care for 
     minor dependents of the single parent or dual-military 
     couple.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered area.--The term ``covered area'' means an area 
     for which special pay for duty subject to hostile fire or 
     imminent danger is authorized under section 310 of title 37, 
     United States Code.
       (2) Dual-military couple.--The term ``dual-military 
     couple'' means a married couple in which both spouses are 
     members of the Armed Forces.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2204. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place insert:

     SEC. (___). COMPETITION FOR PROCUREMENT OF RIFLES.

       (a) Compettion Required.--Each military service shall 
     conduct full and open competitions for the procurement of 
     rifles based on the requirements described in (b).
       (b) Requirement.--The Secretary of Defense shall certify a 
     rifle requirement no later than December 31, 2007 that 
     shall--
       (1) be based on performance; and
       (2) not require commonality with the technical 
     specifications of current weapons.
       (c) Procurements Covered.--This section applies to the 
     procurement of individual weapons less than .50 caliber.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2205. Mrs. McCASKILL (for herself, Mr. Biden, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
Bond, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by her to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, 
for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department 
of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal 
year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title X, add the following:

     SEC. 1044. REPORT ON SIZE AND MIX OF AIR FORCE INTERTHEATER 
                   AIRLIFT FORCE.

       (a) Study Required.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall provide for 
     a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) to 
     conduct a study on various alternatives for the size and mix 
     of assets for the Air Force intertheater airlift force, with 
     a particular focus on current and anticipated capabilities 
     and costs of the C-5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft fleets.
       (2) Selection of ffrdc.--In order to enhance the utility of 
     the study, the Secretary shall, select to conduct the study a 
     federally funded research and development center that is 
     currently engaged in force mix analyses of other military 
     mobility aircraft fleets.
       (3) Utilization of other studies.--In conducting the study, 
     the federally funded research and development center shall 
     utilize the results of the recent Mobility Capabilities 
     Studies of the Department of Defense, the on-going 
     Intratheater Airlift Fleet Mix Analysis, and other 
     appropriate studies and analyses. The study should also 
     include any results reached on the modified C-5A aircraft 
     configured as part of the Reliability Enhancement and Re-
     engining Program (RERP) configuration, as specified in 
     section 132 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
     Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136; 117 Stat. 1411).
       (b) Elements.--The study under subsection (a) shall address 
     the following:
       (1) The adequacy of the current intertheater airlift force, 
     including whether or not the current target number of 299 
     airframes for the Air Force heavy lift aircraft fleet will

[[Page S9220]]

     be sufficient to support future expeditionary combat and non-
     combat missions, as well as domestic and training mission 
     requirements, in light of each of the following:
       (A) Current and future military combat and support 
     missions.
       (B) The planned force structure growth of the Army and the 
     Marine Corps.
       (C) Potential changes in lift requirements arising from the 
     deployment of the Future Combat Systems by the Army.
       (D) The utilization of the heavy lift aircraft in 
     intratheater combat missions.
       (E) The availability and application of Civil Reserve Air 
     Fleet assets in future military scenarios.
       (F) The potential foreign military demand for military 
     airlift aircraft and the value to the Air Force of a global 
     infrastructure associated with a common aircraft fleet.
       (G) Any increased air mobility requirements associated with 
     the Global Rebasing Initiative of the Department of Defense.
       (H) Potential increases in United States military support 
     for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions around the globe.
       (I) Potential changes in lift requirements based on 
     equipment procured for Iraq and Afghanistan.
       (2) The state of the current intertheater airlift fleet of 
     the Air Force, including the following:
       (A) The extent to which the increased use of heavy airlift 
     aircraft in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring 
     Freedom, and other ongoing operations is affecting the aging 
     of the aircraft of that fleet.
       (B) The extent to which the accelerated aging of such 
     aircraft will affect the replacement schedule for such 
     aircraft.
       (3) The optimal mix of C-5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft for 
     the intertheater airlift fleet of the Air Force, and any 
     appropriate mix of C-5 aircraft and C-17 aircraft for 
     intratheater airlift missions, including an assessment of the 
     following:
       (A) The cost-benefits of replacing C-5A aircraft with C-17 
     aircraft, including costs associated with the C-5 Reliability 
     Enhancement and Re-engining Program (RERP) and Avionics 
     Modernization Program (AMP).
       (B) The military capability of the airframes for the C-5 
     aircraft and C-17 aircraft, including number of lifetime 
     flight hours, cargo and passenger carrying capability, and 
     mission capable rates for such airframes.
       (C) The effect of replacing C-5 aircraft with C-17 aircraft 
     on a one-for-one airframe basis, rather than upgrading the C-
     5 aircraft under the Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining 
     Program and the Avionics Modernization Program, on airlift 
     capabilities, including whether replacing C-5 aircraft with 
     C-17 aircraft would create an equivalent one-for-one tradeoff 
     in military capability.
       (D) The tactical capabilities of strategic airlift 
     aircraft, the potential increase in use of strategic airlift 
     aircraft for tactical missions, and the value of such 
     capabilities to tactical operations.
       (E) The value of having more than one type of aircraft in 
     the strategic airlift fleet, and the potential need to pursue 
     a replacement aircraft for the C-5 aircraft that is larger 
     than the C-17 aircraft.
       (4) Strategic issues associated with closing the production 
     line for the C-17 aircraft, particularly the risks associated 
     with losing the industrial capacity of that production line 
     in the light of future military requirements.
       (5) The means by which the Air Force was able to restart 
     the production line for the C-5 aircraft after having closed 
     the line for several years, and the actions to be taken to 
     ensure the production line for the C-17 aircraft could be 
     restarted should a decision to close the line be made, 
     including an analysis of the following:
       (A) The costs of closing and re-opening the production line 
     for the C-5 aircraft, and an assessment of the costs of 
     closing and re-opening the production line for the C-17 
     aircraft on a similar basis.
       (B) The risks inherent in permitting a production line to 
     close when compared with the potential savings or favorable 
     aspects of keeping a production line open.
       (6) The financial effects of retiring or upgrading and 
     maintaining the C-5A aircraft fleet on procurement decisions 
     relating to the C-17 aircraft.
       (7) The impact that increasing the role and use of 
     strategic airlift aircraft in intratheater operations will 
     have on the current target number for strategic airlift 
     aircraft of 299, including an analysis of the following:
       (A) The appropriateness of using C-5 aircraft and C-17 
     aircraft for intratheater missions, as well as the efficacy 
     of these aircraft to perform current and projected future 
     intratheater missions.
       (B) The interplay of existing doctrinal intratheater 
     airlift aircraft (such as the C-130 aircraft and the future 
     Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA)) with an increasing role for C-5 
     aircraft and C-17 aircraft in intratheater missions.
       (C) The most appropriate and likely missions for C-5 
     aircraft and C-17 aircraft in intratheater operations and the 
     potential for increased requirements in these mission areas.
       (D) Any intratheater mission sets best performed by 
     strategic airlift aircraft as opposed to traditional 
     intratheater airlift aircraft.
       (E) Any requirements for increased production or longevity 
     of C-5 and C-17 aircraft, or for a new strategic airlift 
     aircraft, in light of the matters analyzed under this 
     paragraph.
       (c) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to exclude from the study under subsection (a) 
     consideration of airlift assets other than the C-5 aircraft 
     or C-17 aircraft that do or may provide intratheater and 
     intertheater airlift, including the potential that such 
     current or future assets may reduce requirements for C-5 
     aircraft or C-17 aircraft.
       (d) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than February 1, 2009, the 
     Secretary Defense shall submit to the Committee on Armed 
     Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of 
     the House of Representatives a report on the study under 
     subsection (a).
       (2) Form.--The report shall be submitted in unclassified 
     form, but may include a classified annex.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2206. Mr. WEBB (for himself, Mrs. McCaskill, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
Brown, Mr. Casey, Mr. Tester, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. 
Sanders) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the 
bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title XV, add the following:

     SEC. 1535. STUDY AND INVESTIGATION OF WARTIME CONTRACTS AND 
                   CONTRACTING PROCESSES IN OPERATION IRAQI 
                   FREEDOM AND OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM.

       (a) Commission on Wartime Contracting.--
       (1) Establishment.--There is hereby established a 
     commission to be known as the ``Commission on Wartime 
     Contracting'' (in this subsection referred to as the 
     ``Commission'').
       (2) Membership.--The Commission shall be composed of 8 
     members, as follows:
       (A) 2 members shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of 
     the Senate, in consultation with the Chairmen of the 
     Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
       (B) 2 members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
     House of Representatives, in consultation with the Chairmen 
     of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Oversight and Government Reform of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (C) 1 member shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of 
     the Senate, in consultation with the Ranking Minority Members 
     of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
       (D) 1 member shall be appointed by the Minority Leader of 
     the House of Representatives, in consultation with the 
     Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Armed Services 
     and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
     House of Representatives.
       (E) 1 member shall be appointed by the Secretary of 
     Defense.
       (F) 1 member shall be appointed by the Secretary of State.
       (3) Chairman and vice chairman.--
       (A) Chairman.--The chairman of the Commission shall be a 
     member of the Commission selected by the members appointed 
     under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (2) but only if 
     approved by the vote of a majority of the members of the 
     Commission.
       (B) Vice chairman.--The vice chairman of the Commission 
     shall be a member of the Commission selected by the members 
     appointed under subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph (2) 
     but only if approved by the vote of a majority of the members 
     of the Commission.
       (4) Duties.--
       (A) General duties.--The Commission shall study and 
     investigate the following matters:
       (i) Federal agency contracting for the reconstruction of 
     Iraq and Afghanistan.
       (ii) Federal agency contracting for the logistical support 
     of coalition forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation 
     Enduring Freedom.
       (iii) Federal agency contracting for the performance of 
     security and intelligence functions in Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
       (B) Particular duties.--In carrying out the study under 
     this paragraph, the Commission shall assess--
       (i) the extent and impact of the reliance of the Federal 
     Government on contractors to perform functions (including 
     security, intelligence, and management functions) in 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom;
       (ii) the performance of the contracts under review, and the 
     mechanisms used to manage the performance of the contracts 
     under review;
       (iii) the extent of waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement 
     under such contracts;
       (iv) the extent to which those responsible for such waste, 
     fraud, abuse, or mismanagement have been held financially or 
     legally accountable; and
       (v) the appropriateness of the organizational structure, 
     policies, and practices of

[[Page S9221]]

     the Department of Defense and the Department of State for 
     handling contingency contract management and support.
       (5) Reports.--
       (A) Interim report.--Not later than one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to 
     Congress an interim report on the study carried out under 
     paragraph (3), including the results and findings of the 
     study as of that date.
       (B) Other reports.--The Commission may from time to time 
     submit to Congress such other reports on the study carried 
     out under paragraph (3) as the Commission considers 
     appropriate.
       (C) Final report.--Not later than two years after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to 
     Congress a report on the study carried out under paragraph 
     (3). The report shall--
       (i) include the findings of the Commission;
       (ii) identify lessons learned on the contracting covered by 
     the study; and
       (iii) include specific recommendations for improvements to 
     be made in--

       (I) the process for developing contract requirements for 
     wartime contracts and contracts for contingency operations;
       (II) the process for awarding contracts and task orders for 
     wartime contracts and contracts for contingency operations;
       (III) the process for managing and providing oversight for 
     the performance of wartime contracts and contracts for 
     contingency operations;
       (IV) the process for holding contractors and their 
     employees accountable for waste, fraud, abuse, or 
     mismanagement under wartime contracts and contracts for 
     contingency operations;
       (V) the process for determining which functions are 
     inherently governmental and which functions are appropriate 
     for performance by contractors in an area of combat 
     operations (including an area of a contingency operation), 
     including a determination whether the use of civilian 
     contractors to provide security in an area of combat 
     operations is a function that is inherently governmental;
       (VI) the organizational structure, policies and practices 
     of the Department of Defense and the Department of State 
     handling contract management and support for wartime 
     contracts and contracts for contingency operations; and
       (VII) the process by which roles and responsibilities with 
     respect to wartime contracts and contracts for contingency 
     operations are distributed among the various departments and 
     agencies of the Federal Government, and interagency 
     coordination and communication mechanisms associated with 
     wartime contracts and contracts for contingency operations.

       (6) Other powers and authorities.--
       (A) Hearings and evidence.--The Commission or, on the 
     authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or member 
     thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out this 
     subsection--
       (i) hold such hearings and sit and act at such times and 
     places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, subpoena, 
     administer such oaths; and
       (ii) require the attendance and testimony of such witnesses 
     and the production of such books, records, correspondence, 
     memoranda, papers, and documents, as the Commission or such 
     designated subcommittee or designated member may determine 
     advisable.
       (B) Access to information.--The Commission may secure 
     directly from the Department of Defense and any other 
     department or agency of the Federal Government any 
     information or assistance that the Commission considers 
     necessary to enable the Commission to carry out the 
     requirements of this subsection. Upon request of the 
     Commission, the head of such department or agency shall 
     furnish such information expeditiously to the Commission. 
     Whenever information or assistance requested by the 
     Commission is unreasonably refused or not provided, the 
     Commission shall report the circumstances to Congress without 
     delay.
       (C) Personnel.--The Commission shall have the authorities 
     provided in section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, and 
     shall be subject to the conditions set forth in such section, 
     except to the extent that such conditions would be 
     inconsistent with the requirements of this subsection.
       (D) Detailees.--Any employee of the Federal Government 
     employee may be detailed to the Commission without 
     reimbursement from the Commission, and such detailee shall 
     retain the rights, status, and privileges of his or her 
     regular employment without interruption.
       (E) Security clearances.--The appropriate departments or 
     agencies of the Federal Government shall cooperate with the 
     Commission in expeditiously providing to the Commission 
     members and staff appropriate security clearances to the 
     extent possible pursuant to existing procedures and 
     requirements, except that no person shall be provided with 
     access to classified information under this section without 
     the appropriate security clearances.
       (F) Violations of law.--
       (i) Referral to attorney general.--The Commission may refer 
     to the Attorney General any violation or potential violation 
     of law identified by the Commission in carrying out its 
     duties under this subsection.
       (ii) Reports on results of referral.--The Attorney General 
     shall submit to Congress a report on each prosecution and 
     conviction that results from a referral made under this 
     subparagraph.
       (7) Contingency operation defined.--In this subsection, the 
     term ``contingency operation'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 101 of title 10, United States Code.
       (b) Investigation of Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and 
     Mismanagement.--
       (1) In general.--The Special Inspector General for Iraq 
     Reconstruction shall, in cooperation with the Inspector 
     General of the Department of Defense and Inspector General of 
     the Department of State and in consultation with the 
     Commission on Wartime Contracting established by subsection 
     (a), conduct a series of audits to identify potential waste, 
     fraud, abuse, or mismanagement in the performance of--
       (A) Department of Defense contracts and subcontracts for 
     the logistical support of coalition forces in Operation Iraqi 
     Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom; and
       (B) Federal agency contracts and subcontracts for the 
     performance of security and intelligence functions in 
     Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
       (2) Scope of audits of dod contracts.--Each audit conducted 
     pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) shall focus on a specific 
     contract, task order, or site of performance under a contract 
     or task order and shall examine, at a minimum, one or more of 
     the following issues:
       (A) The manner in which requirements were developed.
       (B) The procedures under which the contract or task order 
     was awarded.
       (C) The terms and conditions of the contract or task order.
       (D) The contractor's staffing and method of performance, 
     including cost controls.
       (E) The efficacy of Department of Defense management and 
     oversight and Department of State management and oversight, 
     including the adequacy of staffing and training of officials 
     responsible for such management and oversight.
       (F) The flow of information from the contractor to 
     officials responsible for contract management and oversight.
       (3) Scope of audits of other contracts.--Each audit 
     conducted pursuant to paragraph (1)(B) shall focus on a 
     specific contract, task order, or site of performance under a 
     contract or task order and shall examine, at a minimum, one 
     or more of the following issues:
       (A) The manner in which the requirements were developed and 
     the contract or task order was awarded.
       (B) The manner in which the Federal agency exercised 
     control over the contractor's performance.
       (C) The extent to which operational field commanders are 
     able to coordinate or direct the contractor's performance in 
     an area of combat operations.
       (D) The extent to which the functions performed were 
     appropriate for performance by a contractor.
       (E) The degree to which contractor employees were properly 
     screened, selected, trained, and equipped for the functions 
     to be performed.
       (F) The nature and extent of any incidents of misconduct or 
     unlawful activity by contractor employees.
       (G) The extent to which any incidents of misconduct or 
     unlawful activity were reported, documented, investigated, 
     and (where appropriate) prosecuted.
       (4) Continuation of special inspector general.--
       (A) In general.--Notwithstanding section 3001(o) of the 
     Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense and for 
     the Reconstruction of Iraq and Afghanistan, 2004 (Public Law 
     108-106; 5 U.S.C. App. 8G note), the Office of the Special 
     Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction shall not terminate 
     until the completion of the audits required by this 
     subsection.
       (B) Reaffirmation of certain duties and responsibilities.--
     Congress reaffirms that the Special Inspector General for 
     Iraq Reconstruction retains the duties and responsibilities 
     in sections 4 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
     App. 4; relating to reports of criminal violations to the 
     Attorney General) and section 5 of the Inspector General Act 
     of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 5; relating to reports to Congress) as 
     expressly provided in subsections (f)(3) and (i)(3), 
     respectively, of section 3001 of the Emergency Supplemental 
     Appropriations Act for Defense and for the Reconstruction of 
     Iraq and Afghanistan, 2004.
       (5) Completion of audits.--The Special Inspector General 
     shall complete any audits conducted under this subsection by 
     not later than December 31, 2008.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated such sums as may be required to carry out 
     the provisions of this Act.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2207. Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Kennedy, Ms. 
Mikulski, and Mr. Coleman) submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, 
for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department 
of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal 
year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

[[Page S9222]]

     SEC. ___. PROGRAMS FOR USE OF LEAVE BY CAREGIVERS FOR FAMILY 
                   MEMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS PERFORMING CERTAIN 
                   MILITARY SERVICE.

       (a) Federal Employees Program.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       (A) Caregiver.--The term ``caregiver'' means an individual 
     who--
       (i) is an employee;
       (ii) is at least 21 years of age; and
       (iii) is capable of self care and care of children or other 
     dependent family members of a qualified member of the Armed 
     Forces.
       (B) Covered period of service.--The term ``covered period 
     of service'' means any period of service performed by an 
     employee as a caregiver while the individual who designated 
     the caregiver under paragraph (3) remains a qualified member 
     of the Armed Forces.
       (C) Employee.--The term ``employee'' has the meaning given 
     under section 6331 of title 5, United States Code.
       (D) Family member.--The term ``family member'' includes--
       (i) individuals for whom the qualified member of the Armed 
     Forces provides medical, financial, and logistical support 
     (such as housing, food, clothing, or transportation); and
       (ii) children under the age of 19 years, elderly adults, 
     persons with disabilities, and other persons who are unable 
     to care for themselves in the absence of the qualified member 
     of the Armed Forces.
       (E) Qualified member of the armed forces.--The term 
     ``qualified member of the Armed Forces'' means--
       (i) a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces as 
     described under section 10101 of title 10, United States 
     Code, who has received notice to report to, or is serving on, 
     active duty in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency 
     operation as defined under section 101(a)(13) of title 10, 
     United States Code; or
       (ii) a member of the Armed Forces on active duty who is 
     eligible for hostile fire or imminent danger special pay 
     under section 310 of title 37, United States Code.
       (2) Establishment of program.--The Office of Personnel 
     Management shall establish a program to authorize a caregiver 
     to--
       (A) use any sick leave of that caregiver during a covered 
     period of service in the same manner and to the same extent 
     as annual leave is used; and
       (B) use any leave available to that caregiver under 
     subchapter III or IV of chapter 63 of title 5, United States 
     Code, during a covered period of service as though that 
     covered period of service is a medical emergency.
       (3) Designation of caregiver.--
       (A) In general.--A qualified member of the Armed Forces 
     shall submit a written designation of the individual who is 
     the caregiver for any family member of that member of the 
     Armed Forces during a covered period of service to the 
     employing agency and the Office of Personnel Management.
       (B) Designation of spouse.--Notwithstanding paragraph 
     (1)(A)(ii), an individual less than 21 years of age may be 
     designated as a caregiver if that individual is the spouse of 
     the qualified member of the Armed Forces making the 
     designation.
       (4) Use of caregiver leave.--Leave may only be used under 
     this subsection for purposes directly relating to, or 
     resulting from, the designation of an employee as a 
     caregiver.
       (5) Regulations.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Office of Personnel Management 
     shall prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection.
       (6) Termination.--The program under this subsection shall 
     terminate on December 31, 2012.
       (b) Voluntary Private Sector Leave Program.--
       (1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       (A) Caregiver.--The term ``caregiver'' means an individual 
     who--
       (i) is an employee;
       (ii) is at least 21 years of age; and
       (iii) is capable of self care and care of children or other 
     dependent family members of a qualified member of the Armed 
     Forces.
       (B) Covered period of service.--The term ``covered period 
     of service'' means any period of service performed by an 
     employee as a caregiver while the individual who designated 
     the caregiver under paragraph (4) remains a qualified member 
     of the Armed Forces.
       (C) Employee.--The term ``employee'' means an employee of a 
     business entity participating in the program under this 
     subsection.
       (D) Family member.--The term ``family member'' includes--
       (i) individuals for whom the qualified member of the Armed 
     Forces provides medical, financial, and logistical support 
     (such as housing, food, clothing, or transportation); and
       (ii) children under the age of 19 years, elderly adults, 
     persons with disabilities, and other persons who are unable 
     to care for themselves in the absence of the qualified member 
     of the Armed Forces.
       (E) Qualified member of the armed forces.--The term 
     ``qualified member of the Armed Forces'' means--
       (i) a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces as 
     described under section 10101 of title 10, United States 
     Code, who has received notice to report to, or is serving on, 
     active duty in the Armed Forces in support of a contingency 
     operation as defined under section 101(a)(13) of title 10, 
     United States Code; or
       (ii) a member of the Armed Forces on active duty who is 
     eligible for hostile fire or imminent danger special pay 
     under section 310 of title 37, United States Code.
       (2) Establishment of program.--
       (A) In general.--The Secretary of Labor shall establish a 
     program to authorize employees of business entities described 
     under paragraph (3) to use sick leave, or any other leave 
     available to an employee, during a covered period of service 
     in the same manner and to the same extent as annual leave (or 
     its equivalent) is used.
       (B) Exception.--Subparagraph (A) shall not apply to leave 
     made available under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 
     (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.).
       (3) Voluntary business participation.--The Secretary of 
     Labor shall solicit business entities to voluntarily 
     participate in the program under this subsection.
       (4) Designation of caregiver.--
       (A) In general.--A qualified member of the Armed Forces 
     shall submit a written designation of the individual who is 
     the caregiver for any family member of that member of the 
     Armed Forces during a covered period of service to the 
     employing business entity.
       (B) Designation of spouse.--Notwithstanding paragraph 
     (1)(A)(ii), an individual less than 21 years of age may be 
     designated as a caregiver if that individual is the spouse of 
     the qualified member of the Armed Forces making the 
     designation.
       (5) Use of caregiver leave.--Leave may only be used under 
     this subsection for purposes directly relating to, or 
     resulting from, the designation of an employee as a 
     caregiver.
       (6) Regulations.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall prescribe 
     regulations to carry out this subsection.
       (7) Termination.--The program under this subsection shall 
     terminate on December 31, 2012.
       (c) GAO Report.--Not later than June 30, 2010, the 
     Government Accountability Office shall submit a report to 
     Congress on the programs under subsections (a) and (b) that 
     includes--
       (1) an evaluation of the success of each program; and
       (2) recommendations for the continuance or termination of 
     each program.
       (d) Offset.--The aggregate amount authorized to be 
     appropriated for fiscal year 2008 for the use of the 
     Department of Defense for research, development, test and 
     evaluation shall be reduced by $2,000,000.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2208. Mr. WARNER (for himself and Mr. Lugar) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of title XV, add the following:

                            Subtitle D--Iraq

     SEC. 1541. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The United States has vital national security interests 
     in Iraq and the Middle East region.
       (2) These vital interests include the prevention of Iraq or 
     any piece of its territory from being used as a safe haven or 
     training ground for terrorists or as a repository or assembly 
     point for weapons of mass destruction; the prevention of acts 
     of violence and disorder that upset wider regional stability, 
     undermining friendly governments, expanding refugee flows, 
     impairing the international shipping lanes in the Persian 
     Gulf, or destroying key oil production or transportation 
     facilities; the prevention of Iranian domination of or 
     aggression toward nations or areas of the Middle East, which 
     would have potentially serious consequences for weapons 
     proliferation, terrorism, the security of Israel, and the 
     stability of friendly governments; and the protection of U.S. 
     credibility in the region and throughout the world.
       (3) On January 10, 2007, the President announced the ``New 
     Way forward'' (hereinafter known as ``the President's 
     strategy''), which consists of four basic elements: 
     political, regional, economic, and military.
       (4) The central component of the military element of the 
     President's strategy is an increased emphasis on population 
     security with augmented Iraqi and Coalition force levels in 
     Baghdad and elsewhere. This element required the deployment 
     of five additional U.S. brigade combat teams, with the fifth 
     brigade combat team having been deployed and having become 
     operational in June 2007.
       (5) It is widely recognized that there is no purely 
     military solution to the situation in Iraq. The Iraqi leaders 
     must, as a unified government, reach political settlements in 
     order to achieve reconciliation, for their failure to do so 
     greatly contributes to the violence and disorder in Iraq.
       (6) The viability of the President's strategy within Iraq 
     depends upon: 1) military success at reducing violence and 
     instability in Iraq to a degree that creates greater 
     political

[[Page S9223]]

     normalcy to conclude political compromises; 2) the 
     willingness of Iraqi leaders to subordinate their personal, 
     tribal, and sectarian loyalties and agendas to allow for 
     meaningful and lasting compromises on key questions of 
     economic and political power, such as the equitable 
     distribution of hydrocarbon resources, the enactment of a de-
     baathification policy, the enactment of provincial election 
     law, the completion of the Constitutional review process, and 
     the settlement of the Kirkuk question; and 3) the ability of 
     these potential compromises to achieve a sufficient level of 
     national reconciliation to sustain a stable, unified 
     government, security forces loyal to that government, and a 
     cohesive society despite the continuing risk of terrorism or 
     sectarian violence.
       (7) According to the Initial Benchmark Assessment Report, 
     issued on July 12, 2007, under the requirements of the 
     Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (Public Law 110-
     28), enacted May 25, 2007, the Administration has scored 
     satisfactory progress toward 8 of 18 benchmarks, but 
     unsatisfactory or mixed progress is being marked in 10 
     others. Specifically, in the Security sector, while the 
     report grades ``satisfactory progress toward providing three 
     trained and ready Iraqi brigades to support Baghdad 
     operations, ``the Iraqi Government has made unsatisfactory 
     progress toward increasing the number of Iraqi Security 
     Forces units capable of operating independently'', and has 
     not made satisfactory progress ``in ensuring that Iraqi 
     Security Forces are providing even-handed enforcement of the 
     law. . .''
       (8) The Administration's Initial Benchmark Assessment 
     Report of July 12, 2007, indicates clearly that none of the 
     benchmarks set forth in P.L 110-28, nor those milestones 
     recommended by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group in December 
     2006 in the areas of national reconciliation, security and 
     governance have been reached in their entirety.
       (9) Sectarian agendas, heightened by current power 
     struggles and the memory of the oppressive rule of Saddam 
     Hussein, have generated fear, distrust, and hatred in many 
     parts of Iraq leading to ethnic cleansing, violence, 
     sabotage, economic discrimination, and uncompromising 
     political agendas that have hindered attempts to achieve 
     political reconciliation.
       (10) Many leaders of the Iraqi government and sectarian 
     factions have not demonstrated a commitment to the concept of 
     a pluralist government; nor have they demonstrated the 
     ability to control many sub-factions within their sects.
       (11) The difficulty of achieving short-term political 
     accommodation in Iraq has been complicated by absenteeism in 
     Parliament, personal feuds among leaders, factional boycotts, 
     and the demands of making policy by consensus in a fragmented 
     society.
       (12) Though some Iraqi military and security units have 
     achieved a commendable, professional degree of capability and 
     have performed courageously in combat, a measure of sectarian 
     loyalties, agenda, and corruption still afflict the Iraqi 
     security services.
       (13) Given continuing high levels of violence in Iraq and 
     few manifestations of political compromise among Iraq's 
     factions, the optimal outcome in Iraq of a unified, 
     pluralist, democratic government that is able to police 
     itself, protect its borders, and achieve economic development 
     is not likely to be achieved in the near future.
       (14) American military and diplomatic strategy in Iraq must 
     adjust to the reality that sectarian factionalism is not 
     likely to abate anytime soon and probably cannot be 
     controlled from the top.
       (15) The U.S. military's capacity to interpose itself 
     indefinitely between sectarian factions in Iraq is limited by 
     the high tempo of deployments to Iraq during four and a half 
     years of conflict have impacted the overall readiness of our 
     armed forces, complicated the all-volunteer policy of 
     recruitment, and strained the quality of life for military 
     families.
       (16) The extended Iraq deployments have potential 
     consequences for U.S. abilities to respond to other national 
     security threats, including challenges in Afghanistan.
       (17) The safety and security of our military forces, as 
     well as our credibility in the region require that any 
     military withdrawal or redeployment from Iraq be carefully 
     planned and executed.
       (18) Some level of American military presence in or near 
     Iraq would improve prospects that the United States could 
     respond to terrorist threats, protect petroleum flows, help 
     deter a regional war, and reassure friendly governments of 
     America's commitment to Middle East security.
       (19) Our military planners and diplomats must have as much 
     time as possible to develop and implement the elements of any 
     follow-on policy to the President's strategy, including 
     securing the cooperation of the Iraqi government and key 
     states in the region and establishing the logistics to 
     support a residual or temporary American military presence.
       (20) A poorly-planned or precipitous withdrawal from Iraq 
     could compound the risks of a wider regional conflict 
     stimulated by Sunni-Shia tensions, damage U.S. credibility 
     among regional allies, expose Iraqis who have worked with the 
     Coalition to retribution, increase the magnitude of 
     destabilizing refugee flows, undercut economic and 
     development projects currently underway in Iraq, and signal 
     that the United States was abandoning efforts to prevent 
     Iraqi territory from being used as a terrorist base.
       (21) The December 2006 report issued by the Iraq Study 
     Group advocated a comprehensive strategy that includes ``new 
     and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the 
     region, and a change in the primary mission of U.S. forces in 
     Iraq that will enable the United States to begin to move its 
     combat forces out of Iraq responsibly;''.
       (22) A new strategy should reference the recommendations of 
     the Iraq Study Group, which consulted nearly 200 leading 
     officials and experts, including senior members of the 
     Government of Iraq, the United States Government, and key 
     coalition partners and received advice from more than 50 
     distinguished scholars and experts from a variety of fields 
     who conducted working groups in the areas of economy and 
     reconstruction, military and security, political development, 
     and the strategic environment in Iraq and the Middle East.
       (23) The long term importance of Iraq and the Middle East 
     to American economic and national security requires that our 
     policy in Iraq be militarily sustainable and that it command 
     the greatest degree of public and Congressional support 
     possible.
       (24) The report of the Iraq Study Group opened with a 
     letter from the co-chairs, James A. Baker, III and Lee H. 
     Hamilton, which states ``Our political leaders must build a 
     bipartisan approach to bring a responsible conclusion to what 
     is now a lengthy and costly war. Our country deserves a 
     debate that prizes substance over rhetoric, and a policy that 
     is adequately funded and sustainable. The President and 
     Congress must work together. Our leaders must be candid and 
     forthright with the American people in order to win their 
     support''.

     SEC. 1542. REPORTING AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) The President shall require the Director of National 
     Intelligence to review and update, as required, the National 
     Intelligence Estimate (NIE) titled ``Prospects for Iraq's 
     Stability: A Challenging Road Ahead'', dated January 2007, 
     not later than September 4, 2007. The updated NIE shall 
     include an assessment specifically of the consequences of the 
     various courses of action reducing U.S. forces in Iraq on the 
     future of Iraq, the Middle East region, U.S. national 
     interests, and U.S. partners and allies.
       (b) The President, in close coordination with the 
     Secretaries of Defense and State, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and 
     other senior military leaders, shall, as a matter of 
     prudence, consider all options and initiate planning to:
       (1) transition U.S. combat forces from policing the civil 
     strife or sectarian violence in Iraq;
       (2) redeploy or reallocate those forces in a responsible 
     manner as conditions permit;
       (3) refocus U.S. military operations on maintaining the 
     territorial integrity of Iraq, denying international 
     terrorists a safe haven, conducting counterterrorism 
     operations against al Qaeda in Iraq and its associates, 
     protecting U.S. forces and facilities, and training and 
     equipping Iraqi forces to take full responsibility for their 
     own security; and
       (4) address the findings of the Independent Assessment of 
     the Iraqi Security Forces as provided by PL 110-28 to include 
     decision points for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq 
     that are based upon the readiness of Iraqi Security Forces.
       (c) The aforementioned plans shall be presented to 
     Congress, in a format determined by the Administration, not 
     later than October 16, 2007, and shall be accompanied by the 
     results from modeling and simulation efforts by appropriate 
     departments and agencies of the U.S. government that address 
     the consequences of the courses of action proposed and 
     analyzed. The results of that modeling and simulation shall 
     be made available to Congress.
       (d) We recommend that the President and the Administration 
     design plans to be executable beginning not later than 
     December 31, 2007.

     SEC. 1543. AUTHORIZATION OF THE USE OF FORCE.

       Findings:
       (1) In the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act 
     (Public Law 110-28), enacted May 25, 2007, the Congress 
     enacted broad legislation, part of which originated in the 
     Senate, and the President signed the legislation which 
     specifically mandated that the President take the following 
     actions:
       (A) ``The President shall submit an initial report, in 
     classified and unclassified format, to the Congress, not 
     later than July 15, 2007, assessing the status of each of the 
     specific benchmarks established above, and declaring, in his 
     judgment, whether satisfactory progress toward meeting these 
     benchmarks is, or is not, being achieved''.
       (B) ``The President, having consulted with the Secretary of 
     State, The Secretary of Defense, The Commander, Multi-
     National Forces-Iraq, the United States Ambassador to Iraq, 
     and the Commander of U.S. Central Command, will prepare the 
     report and submit the report to Congress''.
       (C) ``If the President's assessment of any of the specific 
     benchmarks established above is unsatisfactory, the President 
     shall include in that report a description of such revisions 
     to the political, economic, regional, and military components 
     of the strategy, as announced by the President on January 10, 
     2007. In addition, the President shall include

[[Page S9224]]

     in the report, the advisability of implementing such aspects 
     of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, as he deems 
     appropriate''.
       (D) ``The President shall submit a second report to the 
     Congress, not later than September 15, 2007, following the 
     same procedures and criteria, outlined above''.
       (E) ``Prior to the submission of the President's second 
     report on September 15, 2007, and at a time to be agreed upon 
     by the leadership of the Congress and the Administration, the 
     United States Ambassador to Iraq and the Commander, Multi-
     National Forces Iraq will be made available to testify in 
     open and closed sessions before the relevant committees of 
     the Congress''.
       (F) The Department of Defense ``will commission an 
     independent, private-sector entity, which operates as a 
     501(c)(3), with recognized credentials and expertise in 
     military affairs, to prepare an independent report assessing 
     the following:
       (i) The readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to 
     assume responsibility for maintaining the territorial 
     integrity of Iraq, denying international terrorists a safe 
     haven, and bringing greater security to Iraq's 18 provinces 
     in the next 12-18 months, and bringing an end to sectarian 
     violence to achieve national reconciliation;
       (ii) The training, equipping, command, control and 
     intelligence capabilities, and logistics capacity of the ISF;
       (iii) The likelihood that, given the ISF's record of 
     preparedness to date, following years of training and 
     equipping by U.S. forces, the continued support of U.S. 
     troops will contribute to the readiness of the ISF to fulfill 
     the missions outlined in subparagraph (A)''.
       (iv) It is anticipated that the ``Independent Report on the 
     Iraqi Security Forces,'' will, in whole or in part, be 
     available before September 5, 2007.
       (2) Two successive reports by the President, a report from 
     the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, a report from the Commander of 
     Multinational Forces--Iraq, and the Independent Assessment of 
     the Iraqi Security Forces, thereby provide a comprehensive 
     body of information available to the American public and to 
     the Congress, upon which they can establish opinions and 
     evaluate decisions on the future course of U.S. involvement 
     in Iraq and the surrounding region.
       (3) The findings that supported H.J. Res. 114, Public Law 
     107-243, which was enacted in 2002 and which authorized the 
     President to use the Armed Forces of the United States 
     against Iraq, require review and revision. Therefore, as part 
     of his September 15, 2007, report, Congress expects that the 
     President will submit to Congress a proposal to revise Public 
     Law 107-243.

     SEC. 1544. STATUS OF FORCES AGREEMENT.

       The President shall direct the Secretary of State, in 
     conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, to initiate 
     negotiations with the Government of Iraq on a Status of 
     Forces Agreement with a goal to complete work not later than 
     120 days after enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 1545. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS IN IRAQ 
                   AND THE MIDDLE EAST.

       (a) Findings
       (1) The Iraq Study Group recommended a diplomatic 
     offensive, stating ``all key issues in the Middle East - the 
     Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq, Iran, the need for political and 
     economic reforms, and extremism and terrorism, are 
     inextricably linked''. The report stressed that diplomacy 
     aimed at solving key regional issues would ``help marginalize 
     extremists and terrorists, promote U.S. values and interests, 
     and improve America's global image''.
       (2) Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Plus-Two issued 
     a joint statement on January 16, 2007, reflecting ``their 
     collective desire to prevent Iraq from becoming a 
     battleground for regional international powers and urged all 
     to help end sectarian violence in Iraq''.
       (3) The Bush Administration supported and participated in 
     the March 10, 2007, regional conference in Baghdad and the 
     follow-up regional conference held in Egypt on May 3 and 4, 
     2007, and that conference produced three working groups: one 
     chaired by Syria on Border Security, a second chaired by 
     Jordan on Refugees, and a third by Turkey on Fuels and 
     Energy.
       (4) The redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq to other 
     locations in the Middle East, would require the cooperation 
     of regional governments.
       (5) A revision of U.S. military policy in Iraq could 
     increase the chances of stimulating greater economic and 
     diplomatic assistance for Iraq from multi-lateral 
     organizations and European allies, who have sought to limit 
     their association with an unpopular war.
       (6) Regional players, including- Saudi Arabia, Jordan, 
     Egypt, Turkey, the Gulf States, and others have substantial 
     concerns about Iran's disruptive agenda in the region that 
     converge with U.S. interests.
       (7) All states in the region, including Iran and Syria have 
     some interest in preventing political turmoil and refugee 
     flows from emanating from Iraq or the break-up of Iraq into 
     sectarian regions.
       (8) All nations that depend on oil imports, particularly 
     those who are dependent on Persian Gulf oil, have a strong 
     economic and security interest in maintaining stability in 
     the Gulf region.
       (b) It is the Sense of Congress that the United States 
     Government should work vigorously with like-minded 
     governments, including the Iraqi government, to establish a 
     predictable and regular multi-lateral diplomatic forum 
     related to Iraq that meets frequently and is open to all 
     parties in the Middle East.
       (c) Such a forum could be based on the existing structure 
     of the May 2007 foreign ministers conference at Sharm el-
     Sheikh in Egypt that plans to reassemble in Istanbul at a 
     date to be determined, or it could be initiated with a new 
     structure.
       (d) U.S. goals in advancing the forum should include 
     promoting international support for reconciliation in Iraq, 
     dealing with refugee flows emanating from Iraq, protecting 
     the territorial integrity of Iraq, advancing Iraqi economic 
     development, and containing any conflict that might spread 
     from Iraq.
       (e) The United States should work with other nations at the 
     forum to promote transparency of national interests and 
     actions so that the risks for neighboring states of pursuing 
     armed aggression or destructive sectarian agendas are 
     heightened and all parties avoid miscalculations that could 
     lead to conflict.
       (f) In the context of a drawdown of American forces in 
     Iraq, the United States should attempt to secure 
     contributions of resources or military personnel for 
     international efforts to stabilize Iraq's borders.
       (g) Although focused on a multi-lateral approach to issues 
     related to Iraq, the United States should encourage 
     opportunities to discuss other regional concerns and to 
     facilitate bilateral contacts between those in attendance, 
     when appropriate.
       (h) As the United States attempts to establish a more 
     sustainable policy in Iraq, our government should launch a 
     broader diplomatic offensive in the region aimed at repairing 
     alliances, assuring regional governments of our staying power 
     in the Middle East, enlisting greater help international help 
     in combating terrorism, stabilizing oil prices, and making 
     progress in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 2209. Mr. CONRAD (for himself, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Gregg, 
and Mr. Roberts) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 
for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title I, add the following:

     SEC. 143. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TANKER 
                   AIRCRAFT FLEET.

       It is the sense of Congress that timely replacement of the 
     Air Force aerial refueling tanker fleet is a vital national 
     security priority for the reasons as follows:
       (1) The average age of the aircraft in the Air Force aerial 
     refueling tanker fleet is now more than 43 years, with the 
     age of the aircraft in the KC-135 tanker fleet averaging 46 
     years.
       (2) The development and fielding of a replacement tanker 
     aircraft will allow the United States military to continue to 
     project combat capability anywhere in the world on short 
     notice without relying on intermediate bases for refueling.
       (3) Under current plans, it will take more than 30 years to 
     replace the current fleet of KC-135 tanker aircraft, meaning 
     that some KC-135 tanker aircraft are scheduled to remain 
     operational until they are nearly 80 years old.

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