[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 20 (Wednesday, February 3, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S570-S571]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          UNITED STATES-JORDAN DEFENSE COOPERATION ACT OF 2015

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration 
of H.R. 907 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 907) to improve defense cooperation between 
     the United States and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Rubio 
amendment at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a 
third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made 
and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 3278) was agreed to, as follows:

                (Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Jordan Defense 
     Cooperation Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) As of January 22, 2015, the United States Government 
     has provided $3,046,343,000 in assistance to respond to the 
     Syria humanitarian crisis, of which nearly $467,000,000 has 
     been provided to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
       (2) As of January 2015, according to the United Nations 
     High Commissioner for Refugees, there were 621,937 registered 
     Syrian refugees in Jordan and 83.8 percent of whom lived 
     outside refugee camps.

[[Page S571]]

       (3) In 2000, the United States and Jordan signed a free-
     trade agreement that went into force in 2001.
       (4) In 1996, the United States granted Jordan major non-
     NATO ally status.
       (5) Jordan is suffering from the Syrian refugee crisis and 
     the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant 
     (ISIL).
       (6) The Government of Jordan was elected as a non-permanent 
     member of the United Nations Security Council for a 2-year 
     term ending in December 2015.
       (7) Enhanced support for defense cooperation with Jordan is 
     important to the national security of the United States, 
     including through creation of a status in law for Jordan 
     similar to the countries in the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, 
     Israel, and New Zealand, with respect to consideration by 
     Congress of foreign military sales to Jordan.
       (8) The Colorado National Guard's relationship with the 
     Jordanian military provides a significant benefit to both the 
     United States and Jordan.
       (9) Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh was brutally murdered 
     by ISIL.
       (10) On February 3, 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry and 
     Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh signed a new 
     Memorandum of Understanding that reflects the intention to 
     increase United States assistance to the Government of Jordan 
     from $660,000,000 to $1,000,000,000 for each of the years 
     2015 through 2017.
       (11) On December 5, 2014, in an interview on CBS This 
     Morning, Jordanian King Abdullah II stated--
       (A) in reference to ISIL, ``This is a Muslim problem. We 
     need to take ownership of this. We need to stand up and say 
     what is wrong''; and
       (B) ``This is our war. This is a war inside Islam. So we 
     have to own up to it. We have to take the lead. We have to 
     start fighting back.''.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It should be the policy of the United States--
       (1) to support the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in its 
     response to the Syrian refugee crisis;
       (2) to provide necessary assistance to alleviate the 
     domestic burden to provide basic needs for the assimilated 
     Syrian refugees;
       (3) to cooperate with Jordan to combat the terrorist threat 
     from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or other 
     terrorist organizations; and
       (4) to help secure the border between Jordan and its 
     neighbors Syria and Iraq.

     SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) expeditious consideration of certifications of letters 
     of offer to sell defense articles, defense services, design 
     and construction services, and major defense equipment to the 
     Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan under section 36(b) of the Arms 
     Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776(b)) is fully consistent 
     with United States security and foreign policy interests and 
     the objectives of world peace and security;
       (2) Congress welcomes the statement of King Abdullah II 
     quoted in section (2)(11); and
       (3) it is in the interest of peace and stability for 
     regional members of the Global Coalition to Combat ISIL to 
     continue their commitment to, and increase their involvement 
     in, addressing the threat posed by ISIL.

     SEC. 5. ENHANCED DEFENSE COOPERATION.

       (a) In General.--During the 3-year period beginning on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Hashemite Kingdom of 
     Jordan shall be treated as if it were a country listed in the 
     provisions of law described in subsection (b) for purposes of 
     applying and administering such provisions of law.
       (b) Arms Export Control Act.--The provisions of law 
     described in this subsection are--
       (1) subsections (b)(2), (d)(2)(B), (d)(3)(A)(i), and (d)(5) 
     of section 3 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2753);
       (2) subsections (e)(2)(A), (h)(1)(A), and (h)(2) of section 
     21 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2761);
       (3) subsections (b)(1), (b)(2), (b)(6), (c), and (d)(2)(A) 
     of section 36 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2776);
       (4) section 62(c)(1) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2796a(c)(1)); 
     and
       (5) section 63(a)(2) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2796b(a)(2)).

     SEC. 6. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.

       Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
     Secretary of State is authorized to enter into a memorandum 
     of understanding with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to 
     increase economic support funds, military cooperation, 
     including joint military exercises, personnel exchanges, 
     support for international peacekeeping missions, and enhanced 
     strategic dialogue.

  The amendment was ordered to be engrossed, and the bill to be read a 
third time.
  The bill was read the third time.
  The bill (H.R. 907), as amended, was passed.

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