[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 465. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him 
to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 
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. __. MILITARY HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Military Humanitarian Operations Act of 2017''.
       (b) Military Humanitarian Operation Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``military humanitarian operation''--
       (1) means a military operation--
       (A) involving the deployment of members or weapons systems 
     of the United States Armed Forces where hostile activities 
     are reasonably anticipated; and
       (B) with the aim of--
       (i) preventing or responding to a humanitarian catastrophe, 
     including its regional consequences; or
       (ii) addressing a threat posed to international peace and 
     security;
       (2) includes--
       (A) operations undertaken pursuant to the principle of the 
     ``responsibility to protect'', as referenced in United 
     Nations Security Council Resolution 1674 (2006);
       (B) operations specifically authorized by the United 
     Nations Security Council, or other international 
     organizations; and
       (C) unilateral deployments and deployments made in 
     coordination with international organizations, treaty-based 
     organizations, or coalitions formed to address specific 
     humanitarian catastrophes; and
       (3) does not mean a military operation undertaken--
       (A) to respond to or repel attacks, or prevent imminent 
     attacks, on the United States or any of its territorial 
     possessions, embassies, or consulates, or members of the 
     United States Armed Forces;
       (B) as a direct act of reprisal for attacks on the United 
     States or any of its territorial possessions, embassies, or 
     consulates, or members of the United States Armed Forces;
       (C) to invoke the inherent right to individual or 
     collective self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the 
     Charter of the United Nations;
       (D) as a military mission to protect or rescue United 
     States citizens or military or diplomatic personnel abroad;
       (E) to carry out treaty commitments to directly aid allies 
     in distress;
       (F) as a humanitarian mission, not to exceed 30 days, in 
     response to natural disasters where no civil unrest or combat 
     with hostile forces is reasonably anticipated;
       (G) to maintain maritime freedom of navigation, including 
     actions aimed at combating piracy; or
       (H) as a training exercise conducted by the United States 
     Armed Forces abroad where no combat with hostile forces is 
     reasonably anticipated.
       (c) Congressional Authorization Requirement.--The President 
     may not deploy members of the United States Armed Forces into 
     the territory, airspace, or waters of a foreign country for a 
     military humanitarian operation not previously authorized by 
     statute unless--
       (1) the President submits to Congress a formal request for 
     authorization to use members of the Armed Forces for the 
     military humanitarian operation; and
       (2) Congress specifically authorizes such use of forces.
       (d) Severability.--If any provision of this section is held 
     to be unconstitutional, the remainder of the section shall 
     not be affected.
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