[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 18, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 659. Mr. RUBIO 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 part II of subtitle Aof title XVI, add the 
     following:

     SEC. 1617. ACQUISITION STRATEGY FOR CATEGORY C SPACE LAUNCH 
                   MISSIONS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than March 1, 2020, the 
     Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional 
     defense committees a plan for the acquisition of Category C 
     space launch services independently of the acquisition of 
     Category A and B missions. Category C missions shall be 
     filled by a mix of--
       (1) commercially available space launch vehicles; and
       (2) previously certified space launch vehicles.
       (b) Funding Authorized.--Of the funds authorized to be 
     appropriated in fiscal year 2020 for National Security Space 
     Launch, the Air Force may transfer up to $100,000,000 to 
     support the acquisition strategy required by subsection (a). 
     The Air Force shall, in the budget materials submitted to the 
     President by the Secretary of Defense in connection with the 
     submission to Congress of budget materials pursuant to 
     section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, use a separate, 
     dedicated line item for the procurement of Category C 
     missions.
       (c) Competition.--The Air Force shall use full and open 
     competition to the maximum extent practicable in the 
     acquisition of Category C space launch services.
       (d) Report Required.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force 
     shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report 
     on the cost of constructing infrastructure in multiple 
     locations to meet Category C mission requirements in addition 
     to existing obstacles which prevent Category C missions from 
     being conducted out of a single location.
       (2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
     shall include--
       (A) current and previous funding by the Department of 
     Defense to establish launch sites to meet Category C 
     requirements; and
       (B) overflight concerns to meet Category C launches 
     including a strategy to mitigate these concerns.
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