[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3554-S3555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2139. Mr. CRUZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2021 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:

       Amend section 144 to read as follows:

     SEC. 144. MINIMUM AIR FORCE BOMBER AIRCRAFT LEVEL.

       (a) Minimum.--The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
     congressional defense committees recommendations for a 
     minimum number of bomber aircraft, including penetrating 
     bombers in addition to B-52H

[[Page S3555]]

     aircraft, to enable the Air Force to carry out its long-range 
     penetrating strike capability.
       (b) Briefing on B-1 Fleet Sustainment.--
       (1) Initial briefing.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air 
     Force shall brief the congressional defense committees on the 
     current state of readiness and continued sustainment of the 
     B-1 fleet and any gaps or necessary steps to ensure that the 
     mission capable rate of the B-1 fleet is not less than 70 
     percent and the structural life of such fleet is sufficient 
     to 2040.
       (2) Quarterly briefing.--If the mission capable rate and 
     structural life levels specified in paragraph (1) have not 
     been met, not later than 60 days after the briefing under 
     paragraph (1), and not less frequently than quarterly 
     thereafter until such levels have been met, the Secretary of 
     the Air Force shall brief the congressional defense 
     committees on, with respect to the B-1 fleet, the following:
       (A) A description of any structural issues or technical 
     deficiencies.
       (B) A plan for continued structural deficiency data 
     analysis and training.
       (C) A description of projected repair timelines to address 
     issues identified under subparagraph (A).
       (D) A description of future mitigation strategies, 
     including an analysis of the support requirement for each 
     aircraft.
       (E) An aircrew maintainer training plan, including a plan 
     to ensure that the training pipeline remains steady for any 
     degradation period.
       (F) An identification of any deficiencies in equipment or 
     funds required to address issues identified under 
     subparagraph (A).
       (G) A recovery timeline to resolve issues identified under 
     subparagraph (A).
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