[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 122 (Thursday, July 2, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S4237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2426. Mr. CRUZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 2301 proposed by Mr. Inhofe 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 aircraft, to enable the Air 
     Force to carry out its long-range penetrating strike 
     capability.
       (b) Report on B-1 Aircraft Fleet Sustainment.--Not later 
     than 180 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 sustainment 
     of the B-1 aircraft fleet. The report shall include the 
     following:
       (1) A cost benefit analysis of bombers compared with the 
     Air Force Arsenal Plane program.
       (2) A description of any structural issues found in full-
     scale fatigue testing or inspections of B-1 aircraft.
       (3) A description of future structural mitigation 
     strategies for B-1 aircraft, including an analysis of the 
     support requirement for each aircraft.
       (4) A potential modernization plan for B-1 aircraft 
     capability, including hypersonic and other advanced weapons, 
     to ensure survivability and combat efficacy of such aircraft 
     until the B-21 aircraft is operational
       (c) Limitation.--None of the funds authorized to be 
     appropriated by this Act for the Department of Defense may be 
     obligated or expended in support of the Air Force Arsenal 
     Plane program, and the Department may not otherwise implement 
     any such activity, until the report required under subsection 
     (b) is submitted.
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