[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S747-S748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 65. Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Graham, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Burr, 
Mr. Romney, Ms. Ernst, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sasse, Mrs. Fischer, 
Mr. Grassley, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Shelby, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. 
Sullivan, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Young, and Mr. Boozman) 
proposed an amendment to the bill S. 1, to make improvements to certain 
defense and security assistance provisions and to authorize the 
appropriation of funds to Israel, to reauthorize the United States-
Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, and to halt the wholesale 
slaughter of the Syrian people, and for other purposes; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. SENSE OF SENATE ON WITHDRAWALS OF UNITED STATES 
                   FORCES FROM SYRIA AND AFGHANISTAN.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
       (1) The foreign terrorist organization al Qaeda, 
     responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001, maintains 
     a presence in Afghanistan.
       (2) The Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham, better known by 
     its acronym ISIS, flourished in the chaos unleashed by the 
     civil war in Syria and at one point controlled extensive 
     territory in Iraq and Syria.
       (3) Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates have murdered 
     thousands of innocent civilians.
       (4) Al Qaeda, ISIS, and their affiliates have proven 
     resilient and have regrouped when the United States and its 
     partners have withdrawn from the fight against them.
       (b) Sense of Senate.--The Senate--
       (1) acknowledges that the United States military and our 
     partners have made significant progress in the campaign 
     against al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham 
     (ISIS), and honors the contributions and sacrifice of the 
     members of the United States Armed Forces who have served on 
     the front lines of this fight;
       (2) recognizes the continuing threat to the homeland and 
     our allies posed by al Qaeda

[[Page S748]]

     and ISIS, which maintain an ability to operate in Syria and 
     Afghanistan;
       (3) expresses concern that Iran has supported the Taliban 
     in Afghanistan and Hizballah and the Assad regime in Syria, 
     and has sought to frustrate diplomatic efforts to resolve 
     conflicts in these two countries;
       (4) recognizes the positive role the United States and its 
     partners have played in Syria and Afghanistan fighting 
     terrorist groups, countering Iranian aggression, deterring 
     the further use of chemical weapons, and protecting human 
     rights;
       (5) warns that a precipitous withdrawal of United States 
     forces from the on-going fight against these groups, without 
     effective, countervailing efforts to secure gains in Syria 
     and Afghanistan, could allow terrorists to regroup, 
     destabilize critical regions, and create vacuums that could 
     be filled by Iran or Russia, to the detriment of United 
     States interests and those of our allies;
       (6) recognizes that al Qaeda and ISIS pose a global threat, 
     which merits increased international contributions to the 
     counterterrorism, diplomatic, and stabilization efforts 
     underway in Syria and Afghanistan;
       (7) recognizes that diplomatic efforts to secure peaceful, 
     negotiated solutions to the conflicts in Syria and 
     Afghanistan are necessary to long-term stability and 
     counterterrorism efforts in the Middle East and South Asia;
       (8) acknowledges the progress made by Special 
     Representative Khalilzad in his efforts to promote 
     reconciliation in Afghanistan;
       (9) calls upon the Administration to conduct a thorough 
     review of the military and diplomatic strategies in Syria and 
     Afghanistan, including an assessment of the risk that 
     withdrawal from those countries could strengthen the power 
     and influence of Russia and Iran in the Middle East and South 
     Asia and undermine diplomatic efforts toward negotiated, 
     peaceful solutions;
       (10) requests that the Administration, as part of this 
     review, solicit the views of Israel, our regional partners, 
     and other key troop-contributing nations in the fight against 
     al Qaeda and ISIS;
       (11) reiterates support for international diplomatic 
     efforts to facilitate peaceful, negotiated resolutions to the 
     on-going conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan on terms that 
     respect the rights of innocent civilians and deny safe havens 
     to terrorists;
       (12) calls upon the Administration to pursue a strategy 
     that sets the conditions for the long-term defeat of al Qaeda 
     and ISIS, as well as the protection of regional partners and 
     allies, while ensuring that Iran cannot dominate the region 
     or threaten Israel;
       (13) encourages close collaboration between the Executive 
     Branch and the Legislative Branch to ensure continuing 
     strong, bipartisan support for United States military 
     operations in Syria and Afghanistan; and
       (14) calls upon the Administration to certify that 
     conditions have been met for the enduring defeat of al Qaeda 
     and ISIS before initiating any significant withdrawal of 
     United States forces from Syria or Afghanistan.
                                 ______