[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2540]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 365. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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 appropriate place in title XII, insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 12__. MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Millennium Challenge Corporation Candidate Country Reform 
     Act''.
       (b) Modifications of Requirements to Become a Candidate 
     Country.--Section 606 of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 
     (22 U.S.C. 7705) is amended to read as follows:

     ``SEC. 606. CANDIDATE COUNTRIES.

       ``(a) In General.--A country shall be a candidate country 
     for purposes of eligibility to receive assistance under 
     section 605 if--
       ``(1) the per capita income of the country in a fiscal year 
     is equal to or less than the World Bank threshold for 
     initiating the International Bank for Reconstruction and 
     Development graduation process for the fiscal year; and
       ``(2) subject to subsection (b), the country is not 
     ineligible to receive United States economic assistance under 
     part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 
     et seq.) by reason of the application of any provision of the 
     Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 or any other provision of law.
       ``(b) Rule of Construction.--For the purposes of 
     determining whether a country is eligible, pursuant to 
     subsection (a)(2), to receive assistance under section 605, 
     the exercise by the President, the Secretary of State, or any 
     other officer or employee of the United States Government of 
     any waiver or suspension of any provision of law referred to 
     in subsection (a)(2), and notification to the appropriate 
     congressional committees in accordance with such provision of 
     law, shall be construed as satisfying the requirements under 
     subsection (a).
       ``(c) Determination by the Board.--The Board shall 
     determine whether a country is a candidate country for 
     purposes of this section.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendments.--
       (1) Amendment to report identifying candidate countries.--
     Section 608(a)(1) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 
     U.S.C. 7707(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``section 
     606(a)(1)(B)'' and inserting ``section 606(a)(2)''.
       (2) Amendment to millennium challenge compact authority.--
     Section 609(b)(2) of such Act (22 U.S.C. 7708(b)(2)) is 
     amended--
       (A) by amending the paragraph heading to read as follows: 
     ``Country contributions''; and
       (B) by striking ``with respect to a lower middle income 
     country described in section 606(b),''.
       (3) Amendment to authorization to provide assistance for 
     candidate countries.--Section 616(b)(1) of such Act (22 
     U.S.C. 7715(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``subsection (a) or 
     (b) of section 606'' and inserting ``section 606(a)''.
       (d) Modification to Factors in Determining Eligibility.--
     Section 607(c)(2) of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 
     U.S.C. 7706(c)(2)) is amended, in the matter preceding 
     subparagraph (A), by striking ``consider'' and inserting 
     ``prioritize need and impact by considering''.
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