[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2697-S2698]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 572. Mr. KING (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) 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 end of subtitle E of title III, add the following:

     SEC. 345. BRIEFING ON ARCTIC WATCHTOWER RESEARCH.

       (a) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) confronting and adapting to rapidly evolving challenges 
     in the Arctic region, including coastal resilience, would 
     benefit from increased place-based, forward operating 
     research capacity;
       (2) establishing strategically located watchtower field 
     research centers to conduct on-the-ground research in Arctic 
     gateways could improve the reliability and breadth of 
     monitoring data to inform decision making of the Department 
     of Defense, such as when defense operations impact mammalian 
     habitat;
       (3) locally-based, forward operating research benefits from 
     robust partnerships with regional and local universities, 
     Tribal communities, and international communities; and
       (4) the Secretary of Defense should consider a role for 
     watchtower research efforts in the Arctic region as part of 
     the execution of the Arctic strategy of the Department.
       (b) Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the

[[Page S2698]]

     Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Committees on Armed 
     Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a 
     briefing on the potential and return on investment for 
     watchtower field research centers in the Arctic region.
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