[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 120 (Tuesday, June 30, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4060]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2360. Mr. MURPHY 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:

       At the end of subtitle G of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1287. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO MILITARY 
                   COOPERATION BETWEEN KHALIFA HAFTAR AND PMC 
                   WAGNER IN LIBYA.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) On September 20, 2018, the Department of State added 
     PMC Wagner to the list, maintained pursuant to section 231 of 
     the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act 
     (22 U.S.C. 9525), of persons that are part of, or operate for 
     or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of the 
     Government of the Russian Federation.
       (2) The Commander of United States Africa Command, Stephen 
     Townsend, testified to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
     Senate on January 20, 2020, that Russian ``private military 
     companies (PMCs), such as the Wagner Group with strong links 
     to the Kremlin, are leading the fight for the self-styled 
     `Libyan National Army' against the UN-backed and U.S.-
     recognized Government of National Accord''.
       (3) On May 26, 2020, United States Africa Command stated 
     that the Government of the Russian Federation had deployed 
     military fighter aircraft to Libya in order to support 
     private military contractors sponsored by that Government and 
     operating on the ground in support of the Libyan National 
     Army, and assessed that the military actions of the Russian 
     Federation have prolonged the conflict in Libya and 
     exacerbated casualties and human suffering on both sides.
       (4) Commander Stephen Townsend stated on May 26, 2020, 
     ``For too long, Russia has denied the full extent of its 
     involvement in the ongoing Libya conflict. Well, there is no 
     denying it now. . . Neither the [Libyan National Army] nor 
     private military companies can arm, operate and sustain these 
     fighters without state support--support they are getting from 
     Russia. If Russia seizes basing on Libya's coast, the next 
     logical step is they deploy permanent long-range anti-access 
     area denial (A2D2) capabilities. If that day comes, it will 
     create very real security concerns on Europe's southern 
     flank.''.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
     continued violations of the United Nations arms embargo on 
     Libya by actors including the Russian Federation, the United 
     Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Turkey are detrimental to peace and 
     stability in Libya.
       (c) Treatment of Military Cooperation as Sanctionable 
     Transaction.--For the purposes of section 231 of the 
     Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 
     U.S.C. 9525), the military cooperation between Libyan 
     National Army leader Khalifa Haftar and PMC Wagner, with 
     direct support from military fighter aircraft provided by the 
     Government of the Russian Federation, shall be considered to 
     be a significant transaction described in that section.
       (d) Imposition of Sanctions.--Not later than 30 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall, 
     in accordance with section 231 of the Countering America's 
     Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (22 U.S.C. 9525), impose 
     the sanctions described in paragraphs (8) and (9) of section 
     235(a) of that Act (22 U.S.C. 9529(a)) and 3 or more 
     additional sanctions described in that section with respect 
     to Khalifa Haftar and his immediate family members.
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