[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 19, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S4103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 794. Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Sullivan) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 764 
submitted by Mr. Inhofe and intended to be proposed 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. SENSE OF SENATE ON DEFENSE COOPERATION WITH INDIA.

       (a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
       (1) The United States-India Defense Technology and Trade 
     Initiative launched in 2012 to create opportunities for co-
     production and co-development.
       (2) In June 2016, the United States designated India as a 
     ``Major Defense Partner''. Section 1292 of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 
     114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2751 note), relating to enhancing defense 
     and security cooperation with India, requests that the 
     Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State jointly take such 
     actions as may be necessary to recognize India's status as a 
     major defense partner of the United States, consistent with 
     the June 7, 2016, India-United States Joint Statement.
       (3) On August 3, 2018, the Department of Commerce issued a 
     rule, which enabled India to be moved to the Department of 
     Commerce's Strategic Trade Authorization Tier 1 license 
     designation list, which enables greater availability for 
     exports and re-exports to, and transfers within, India for 
     articles under the Export Administration Regulations.
       (4) The Asia Reassurance Initiative Act of 2018 (Public Law 
     115-409) recognizes the ``vital role of the strategic 
     partnership between the United States and India'' and finds 
     that the designation of India as a major defense partner 
     ``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''.
       (5) In September 2018, the United States and India signed 
     the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement 
     (COMCASA) to facilitate interoperability and real-time secure 
     information sharing.
       (6) The United States and India are collaborating on 
     maritime security, counterpiracy, counterterrorism, 
     cybersecurity, and other shared security interests.
       (7) United States-India bilateral defense trade and 
     technology cooperation have significantly expanded over the 
     past decade.
       (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate 
     that--
       (1) the strategic partnership between the United States and 
     India has been strengthened through enhanced defense 
     cooperation and continued diplomatic engagement based on 
     shared democratic values and strategic interests;
       (2) the United States should continue to work with India to 
     reduce its dependence on Russian defense equipment and 
     conventional weapons and develop alternative opportunities to 
     procure strategic systems that are interoperable with United 
     States systems and consistent with United States national 
     security interests; and
       (3) in order to advance the Major Defense Partnership 
     designation, Congress should consider amending the Arms 
     Export Control Act to enable India to undergo an expedited 
     review process for the purchase of defense equipment.
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