[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 127 (Monday, September 8, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5379-S5380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 3783. Mr. PORTMAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the resolution S. Res. 530, expressing the sense of the 
Senate on the current situation in Iraq and the urgent need to protect 
religious minorities from persecution from the Sunni Islamist insurgent 
and terrorist group the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as it expands its control over 
areas in northwestern Iraq; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations; as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas Iraq is currently embroiled in a surge of violence 
     arising from an ISIL-led offensive that began in Anbar 
     province and has spread to key locations such as Mosul, 
     Tikrit, and Samarra and continues to engulf the region in 
     violence and instability;
       Whereas, on June 29, 2014, ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 
     renamed the group the Islamic State and pronounced himself 
     Caliph of a new Islamic caliphate encompassing the areas 
     under his control, and Mr. al-Baghdadi has a stated mission 
     of spreading the Islamic State and caliphate across the 
     region through violence against Shiites, non-Muslims, and 
     unsupportive Sunnis;
       Whereas Iraq's population is approximately 31,300,000 
     people, with 97 percent identifying themselves as Muslim and 
     the approximately 3 percent of religious minorities groups 
     comprising of Christians, Yezidis, Sabean-Mandaeans, Bahais, 
     Shabaks, Kakais, and Jews;
       Whereas the Iraqi Christian population is estimated to be 
     between 400,000 and 850,000, with two-thirds being Chaldean, 
     one-fifth Assyrian, and the remainder consisting of Syriacs, 
     Protestants, Armenians, and Anglicans;
       Whereas the Iraqi constitution provides for religious 
     freedom by stating that ``no law may be enacted that 
     contradicts the principles of democracy,'' ``no law may be 
     enacted that contradicts the rights and basic freedoms 
     stipulated in this Constitution,'' and ``[this Constitution] 
     guarantees the full religious rights to freedom of religious 
     belief and practice of all individuals such as Christians, 
     Yazidis, and Mandean Sabeans'';
       Whereas the fall of Mosul in particular has sparked enough 
     anxiety among the Christian population that, for the first 
     time in 1,600 years, there was no Mass in that city;
       Whereas over 50 percent of Iraq's Christian population has 
     fled since the fall of Saddam Hussein, and the government 
     under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki did not uphold its 
     commitment to protect the rights of religious minorities;
       Whereas the United States Government has provided over 
     $73,000,000 of cumulative assistance to Iraq's minority 
     populations since 2003 through economic development, 
     humanitarian services, and capacity development;
       Whereas 84,902 Iraqis have resettled to the United States 
     between 2007 and 2013 and over 300,000 Chaldean and Assyrians 
     currently reside throughout the country, particularly in 
     Michigan, California, Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio; and
       Whereas President Barack Obama recently declared on 
     Religious Freedom Day, ``Foremost among the rights Americans 
     hold sacred is the freedom to worship as we choose . . . we 
     also remember that religious liberty is not just an American 
     right; it is a universal human right to be protected here at 
     home and across the globe. This freedom is an essential part 
     of human dignity, and without it our world cannot know 
     lasting peace.'': Now, therefore, be it
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 3784. Mr. PORTMAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the resolution S. Res. 530, expressing the sense of the 
Senate on the current situation in Iraq and the urgent need to protect 
religious minorities from persecution from the Sunni Islamist insurgent 
and terrorist group the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as it expands its control over 
areas in northwestern Iraq; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations; as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following: ``That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms its commitment to promoting and to protecting 
     religious freedom around the world;
       (2) calls on the Department of State to work with the 
     Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, 
     neighboring countries, the diaspora community in the United 
     States, and other key stakeholders to address the urgent 
     plight of those Iraqi minority groups seeking safety and 
     protection from persecution in Iraq;
       (3) respectfully requests the Government of Iraq to 
     prioritize the issue of protecting religious minorities and 
     take concrete action to enact and enforce laws protecting 
     religious freedom; and
       (4) urges the President to ensure the timely processing of 
     visas for Iraq's minority groups fleeing religious 
     persecution, in accordance with existing United States 
     immigration law and national security screening procedures.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 3785. Mr. PORTMAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the resolution S. Res. 530, expressing the sense of the 
Senate on the current situation in Iraq and the urgent need to protect 
religious minorities from persecution from the Sunni Islamist insurgent 
and terrorist group the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as it expands its control over 
areas in northwestern Iraq; which was referred to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations; as follows:

       Amend the title so as to read: ``A resolution expressing 
     the sense of the Senate on the current situation in Iraq and 
     the urgent need to protect religious minorities from 
     persecution from the terrorist group the Islamic State of 
     Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).''.

                                 ______
                                 
  SA 3786. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the joint resolution S.J. Res. 19, proposing an amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States relating to contributions and 
expenditures intended to affect elections; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This resolution may be cited as the ``No Exemption for 
     Washington from Obamacare Act''.

[[Page S5380]]

     SEC. 2. HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN CONGRESSIONAL 
                   STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.

       Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and 
     Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18032(d)(3)(D)) is amended--
       (1) by striking the subparagraph heading and inserting the 
     following:
       ``(D) Members of congress, congressional staff, and 
     political appointees in the exchange.--'';
       (2) in clause (i), in the matter preceding subclause (I)--
       (A) by striking ``and congressional staff with'' and 
     inserting ``, congressional staff, the President, the Vice 
     President, and political appointees with''; and
       (B) by striking ``or congressional staff shall'' and 
     inserting ``, congressional staff, the President, the Vice 
     President, or a political appointee shall'';
       (3) in clause (ii)--
       (A) in subclause (II), by inserting after ``Congress,'' the 
     following: ``of a committee of Congress, or of a leadership 
     office of Congress,''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(III) Political appointee.--In this subparagraph, the 
     term `political appointee' means any individual who--

       ``(aa) is employed in a position described under sections 
     5312 through 5316 of title 5, United States Code, (relating 
     to the Executive Schedule);
       ``(bb) is a limited term appointee, limited emergency 
     appointee, or noncareer appointee in the Senior Executive 
     Service, as defined under paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), 
     respectively, of section 3132(a) of title 5, United States 
     Code;
       ``(cc) is employed in a position in the executive branch of 
     the Government of a confidential or policy-determining 
     character under schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 
     5 of the Code of Federal Regulations; or
       ``(dd) is employed in or under the Executive Office of the 
     President in a position that is excluded from the competitive 
     service by reason of its confidential, policy-determining, 
     policy-making, or policy-advocating character.''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(iii) Government contribution.--No Government 
     contribution under section 8906 of title 5, United States 
     Code, shall be provided on behalf of an individual who is a 
     Member of Congress, a congressional staff member, the 
     President, the Vice President, or a political appointees for 
     coverage under this paragraph.
       ``(iv) Limitation on amount of tax credit or cost-
     sharing.--An individual enrolling in health insurance 
     coverage pursuant to this paragraph shall not be eligible to 
     receive a tax credit under section 36B of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 or reduced cost sharing under section 
     1402 of this Act in an amount that exceeds the total amount 
     for which a similarly situated individual (who is not so 
     enrolled) would be entitled to receive under such sections.
       ``(v) Limitation on discretion for designation of staff.--
     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a Member of 
     Congress shall not have discretion in determinations with 
     respect to which employees employed by the office of such 
     Member are eligible to enroll for coverage through an 
     Exchange.''.

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