[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 114 (Thursday, July 14, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5186-S5187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE PESHMERGA OF THE KURDISTAN 
                             REGION OF IRAQ

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 566, S. Con. Res. 41.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent 
resolution by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 41) expressing the 
     sense of Congress on the Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Region of 
     Iraq.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on 
Foreign Relations with amendments, as follows:
  (The parts of the concurrent resolution intended to be stricken are 
shown in boldface brackets and the parts of the concurrent resolution 
intended to be inserted are shown in italic.)

                            S. Con. Res. 41

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been 
     one of the most effective fighting forces in the military 
     campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham 
     (ISIS);
       (2) the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham poses an acute 
     threat to the Iraqi people and territorial integrity of Iraq, 
     including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the security and 
     stability of the Middle East;
       (3) the severe budget shortfalls faced by both the 
     Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government are 
     hindering the stability of Iraq and have the potential to 
     undermine long-term efforts to bring about the sustainable 
     defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham;
       (4) the $415,000,000 pledged by the United States 
     Government to the Kurdish Peshmerga in April of 2016, in 
     coordination with the Government of Iraq, in addition to the 
     $65,000,000 already provided from the Iraq Train and Equip 
     Fund, should remain a priority for the United States as part 
     of the continued support for Iraqi Security Forces, including 
     the Peshmerga, in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq 
     and al-Sham;
       [(5) the Peshmerga should receive all weapons and equipment 
     that the United States, in coordination with the Government 
     of Iraq, agrees to provide in an expeditious and in a timely 
     manner;]
       (5) the Peshmerga should receive all weapons and equipment 
     that the United States, by, with, and through the Government 
     of Iraq, agrees to provide in an expeditious and in a timely 
     manner;
       (6) it should be the policy of the United States to 
     support, within the framework of the Iraq Constitution, Iraqi 
     Security Forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq, Sunni tribal 
     forces, and other local security forces, including threatened 
     ethnic and religious minority groups, in the campaign against 
     the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham;
       (7) ensuring the safe resettlement and reintegration of 
     ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians (among 
     them Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Armenian, Evangelical, 
     Antiochian and Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Melkite, and Roman 
     Catholic communities), Yezidis, Turkmen, Shi'a, Shabak, 
     Sabaean-Mandeans, and Kaka'i, among others, including victims 
     of genocide, into their homelands in Iraq, including the 
     Ninevah Plain, is a critical component toward achieving a 
     safe, secure, and sovereign Iraq;
       [(6)] (8) the Peshmerga require equipment that will allow 
     them to defend themselves and their coalition advisers 
     against the increased use of vehicle-borne improvised 
     explosive devices by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham;
       [(7)] (9) the Peshmerga are vital partners in the fight 
     against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham; and
       [(8)] (10) in coordination with the Government of Iraq, the 
     United States will endeavor to increase assistance to Iraqi 
     Kurdish Forces to enhance their combat medicine and 
     logistical capabilities, to defend internally displaced 
     persons and refugees, and to defend the Peshmerga and their 
     coalition advisers.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
amendments be agreed to, the concurrent resolution, as amended, be 
agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid 
upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendments were agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 41), as amended, was agreed 
to, as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 41

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the Peshmerga of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been 
     one of the most effective fighting forces in the military 
     campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham 
     (ISIS);
       (2) the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham poses an acute 
     threat to the Iraqi people and territorial integrity of Iraq, 
     including the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the security and 
     stability of the Middle East;
       (3) the severe budget shortfalls faced by both the 
     Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government are 
     hindering the stability of Iraq and have the potential to 
     undermine long-term efforts to bring about the sustainable 
     defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham;
       (4) the $415,000,000 pledged by the United States 
     Government to the Kurdish Peshmerga in April of 2016, in 
     coordination with the Government of Iraq, in addition to the 
     $65,000,000 already provided from the Iraq Train and Equip 
     Fund, should remain a priority for the United States as part 
     of the continued support for Iraqi Security Forces, including 
     the Peshmerga, in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq 
     and al-Sham;

[[Page S5187]]

       (5) the Peshmerga should receive all weapons and equipment 
     that the United States, by, with, and through the Government 
     of Iraq, agrees to provide in an expeditious and in a timely 
     manner;
       (6) it should be the policy of the United States to 
     support, within the framework of the Iraq Constitution, Iraqi 
     Security Forces, the Kurdish Peshmerga in Iraq, Sunni tribal 
     forces, and other local security forces, including threatened 
     ethnic and religious minority groups, in the campaign against 
     the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham;
       (7) ensuring the safe resettlement and reintegration of 
     ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians (among 
     them Assyrian, Chaldean, Syriac, Armenian, Evangelical, 
     Antiochian and Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Melkite, and Roman 
     Catholic communities), Yezidis, Turkmen, Shi'a, Shabak, 
     Sabaean-Mandeans, and Kaka'i, among others, including victims 
     of genocide, into their homelands in Iraq, including the 
     Ninevah Plain, is a critical component toward achieving a 
     safe, secure, and sovereign Iraq;
       (8) the Peshmerga require equipment that will allow them to 
     defend themselves and their coalition advisers against the 
     increased use of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices 
     by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham;
       (9) the Peshmerga are vital partners in the fight against 
     the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham; and
       (10) in coordination with the Government of Iraq, the 
     United States will endeavor to increase assistance to Iraqi 
     Kurdish Forces to enhance their combat medicine and 
     logistical capabilities, to defend internally displaced 
     persons and refugees, and to defend the Peshmerga and their 
     coalition advisers.

                          ____________________