[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 490. Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Cornyn) 
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 end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1270E. ADVANCEMENTS IN DEFENSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE 
                   UNITED STATES AND INDIA.

       (a) Strategy to Further Cooperation.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of State, develop a strategy 
     for advancing defense cooperation between the United States 
     and India.
       (2) Elements.--The strategy shall address the following:
       (A) Common security challenges.
       (B) The role of United States partners and allies in the 
     United States-India defense relationship.
       (C) The role of the Defense Technology and Trade 
     Initiative.
       (D) How to advance the Communications Interoperability and 
     Security Memorandum of Agreement and the Basic Exchange and 
     Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation.
       (E) The role of joint exercises, operations, patrols and 
     mutual defense planning.
       (F) Any other matters the Secretary of Defense or the 
     Secretary of State considers appropriate.
       (b) India as Major Defense Partner.--
       (1) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (A) Subsection (a)(1)(A) of section 1292 of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
     114-328; 130 Stat. 2559; 22 U.S.C. 2751 note) requires the 
     recognition of India as a major defense partner.
       (B) The President and the Prime Minister of India, in a 
     joint statement, noted that India is a Major Defense Partner 
     of the United States.
       (C) The designation of ``Major Defense Partner'' is unique 
     to India, and institutionalizes the progress made to 
     facilitate defense trade and technology sharing between the 
     United States and India.
       (D) The designation elevates defense trade and technology 
     cooperation between the United States and India to a level 
     commensurate with the closest allies and partners of the 
     United States.
       (E) The designation is intended to facilitate technology 
     sharing between the United States and India, including 
     license-free access to a wide range of dual-use technologies.
       (F) The designation facilitates joint exercises, 
     coordination on defense strategy and policy, military 
     exchanges, and port calls in support of defense cooperation 
     between the United States and India.
       (2) Interagency definition.--The Secretary of Defense, the 
     Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Commerce shall 
     jointly produce a common definition of the term ``Major 
     Defense Partner'' as it relates to India for joint use by the 
     Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the 
     Department of Commerce.
       (c) Responsibility for Enhanced Cooperation.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the 
     Secretary of State shall make the designation required by 
     subsection (a)(1)(B) of section 1292 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.
       (2) Additional duties.--In addition to the duties specified 
     in clauses (i) and (ii) of subsection (a)(1)(B) of such 
     section 1292, the individual designated pursuant to paragraph 
     (1) shall promote United States defense trade with India for 
     the benefit of job creation and commercial competitiveness in 
     the United States.
       (3) Briefings.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, and every 90 days thereafter, 
     appropriate officials of the Office of the Secretary of 
     Defense and appropriate officials of the Department of State 
     shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on the 
     actions of the Department of Defense and the Department of 
     State, respectively, to promote the competitiveness of United 
     States defense exports to India. The requirement for 
     briefings under this paragraph shall cease on the date of the 
     designation of an individual pursuant to paragraph (1).
       (4) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this 
     subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
                                 ______