[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 335. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 1790, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2020 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. 1262. UNITED STATES STRATEGY WITH RESPECT TO THE NUCLEAR 
                   FORCES OF PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

       (a) Statement of Policy.--Congress declares that making 
     long-term strategic competition with the People's Republic of 
     China a principal priority for the United States elevates the 
     importance of strategic stability dialogue aimed at reducing 
     the risk of inadvertent nuclear war.
       (b) Strategy Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the 
     appropriate congressional committees a strategy with respect 
     to the nuclear forces of the People's Republic of China.
       (2) Elements of strategy.--The strategy required by 
     paragraph (1) shall include the following:
       (A) Updates to the tailored strategy for the People's 
     Republic of China articulated in the 2018 Nuclear Posture 
     Review.
       (B) Objectives of strategic stability and arms control 
     dialogues with the People's Republic of China.
       (C) An assessment of actions that could be interpreted by 
     the United States or the People's Republic of China as 
     provocative or requiring a strategic response.
       (D) Measures to avoid inadvertent escalation of conflict 
     between the United States and the People's Republic of China.
       (E) Consideration of actions the United States anticipates 
     the People's Republic of China seeking in bilateral or 
     multilateral arms control negotiations.
       (F) A description of engagements with the People's Republic 
     of China on issues related to strategic stability.
       (G) An assessment of whether sufficient personnel are 
     currently dedicated to strategic stability and arms control 
     with the People's Republic of China.
       (H) A description of the steps required to negotiate a 
     bilateral or multilateral arms control agreement with the 
     People's Republic of China.
       (3) Form.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (c) Study Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
     seek to enter into a contract with a federally funded 
     research and development center to conduct a study on 
     avoiding inadvertent nuclear war with the People's Republic 
     of China.
       (2) Elements of study.--The study required by paragraph (1) 
     shall, at a minimum--
       (A) provide a detailed description of the current 
     composition of the nuclear forces of the People's Republic of 
     China, including the quantity of nuclear warheads and 
     nuclear-capable delivery systems, as well as anticipated 
     changes in its nuclear force structure through fiscal year 
     2029;
       (B) assess the nuclear doctrine of the People's Republic of 
     China; and
       (C) identify potential pathways to inadvertent escalation 
     to nuclear war.
       (3) Submission to department of defense.--Not later than 
     240 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     federally funded research and development center described in 
     paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary a report 
     containing the results of the study conducted under that 
     paragraph.
       (4) Submission to congress.--Not later than 270 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
     submit to the appropriate congressional committees the report 
     required by paragraph (3), without making any changes.
       (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means the following:
       (1) The congressional defense committees.
       (2) The Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and 
     the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives.
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