[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 99 (Thursday, June 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3517]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 515. Mrs. MURRAY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
her 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:
Strike section 1616 and insert the following:
SEC. 1616. REQUIREMENTS FOR PHASE 2 OF ACQUISITION STRATEGY
FOR NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE LAUNCH PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--In carrying out phase 2 of the acquisition
strategy for the National Security Space Launch program,
before the date on which the initial report required by
subsection (b) is submitted, the Secretary of the Air Force--
(1) may not--
(A) modify the acquisition schedule or mission performance
requirements; or
(B) award missions to more than two launch service
providers; and
(2) shall ensure that launch services are procured only
from launch service providers that use launch vehicles
meeting each Government requirement with respect to required
payloads to reference orbits.
(b) Report and Briefing.--
(1) In general.--Not later than June 30, 2020, and annually
thereafter for the duration of phase 2, the Secretary shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a report and
briefing that includes--
(A) an analysis of the commercial market for space launch,
including whether commercial launch providers are able to
meet the required reference orbits for national security
launch;
(B) a description of the total costs of launches procured
under phase 2, including launch service support;
(C) a plan to increase competition in the National Security
Space Launch program to more than two launch service
providers; and
(D) a plan to ensure an open and transparent process for
launch site assignments at the Eastern and Western Ranges.
(2) Comptroller general review.--Not later than 90 days
after the date on which the Secretary submits a report under
paragraph (1) the Comptroller General of the United States
shall--
(A) review the report; and
(B) submit to Congress--
(i) findings with respect to the accuracy and adequacy of
the report; and
(ii) recommendations to improve the administration of the
National Security Space Launch program, including sustained
competition for launch service procurement.
______