[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 89 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3839-S3840]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1783. Mr. McCAIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to 
prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       Strike section 1273 and insert the following:

     SEC. 1273. SENSE OF CONGRESS AND REPORT ON QATAR FIGHTER 
                   AIRCRAFT CAPABILITY CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL 
                   SAFETY.

       (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress 
     that--
       (1) the United States should consider, in a timely manner, 
     the July 2013 Letter of Request from the Government of Qatar 
     for fighter aircraft;
       (2) the approval of such a sale would contribute to the 
     self-defense of Qatar, deter the regional ambitions of Iran, 
     reassure partners and allies of the United States commitment 
     to regional security, and enhance the strike capability of 
     fighter aircraft of the Qatar air force;
       (3) the ability of our regional partners to respond to 
     threatening Iranian military actions in the Gulf, such as 
     closing the Strait of Hormuz or launching a ballistic missile 
     attack, is a critical element of deterring Iranian aggression 
     and to maintaining security and stability in the region;
       (4) the maintenance by Israel of a Qualitative Military 
     Edge (QME) is vital, and due diligence is essential in 
     thoroughly evaluating the impact of such a sale as it relates 
     to the military capabilities of Israel; and
       (5) the Department of State should prioritize its 
     consideration of whether to issue a Letter of Offer and 
     Acceptance, to advance the sale of fighter aircraft to the 
     Government of Qatar so that key decisions can be taken 
     regarding the way forward for capabilities that are critical 
     for security and stability in the Middle East.
       (b) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the risks 
     and benefits of the sale of fighter aircraft to Qatar as 
     described in subsection (a).
       (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the followings:
       (A) A description of the assumptions regarding the increase 
     to Qatar air force capabilities as a result of the sale.
       (B) A description of the assumptions regarding items 
     described in subparagraph (A) as they may impact the 
     preservation by Israel of a Qualitative Military Edge.
       (C) An estimated timeline for final adjudication of the 
     decision to approve the sale.
       (3) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) may be 
     submitted in classified or unclassified form.

[[Page S3840]]

       (4) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
     House of Representatives.
                                 ______