[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 125 (Thursday, July 20, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1004. Mr. PADILLA 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 C of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 1240A. REPORT ON WAIVERS UNDER SECTION 907 OF THE
FREEDOM FOR RUSSIA AND EMERGING EURASIAN
DEMOCRACIES AND OPEN MARKETS SUPPORT ACT OF
1992 AND REPORT ON ACCESS TO THE LACHIN
CORRIDOR.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act (Public
Law 102-511; 22 U.S.C. 5812 note) has emboldened the
Government of Azerbaijan to violate human rights and
international law with impunity, undermining ongoing efforts
to negotiate a peaceful settlement between Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
(b) Reports.--
(1) Waivers under section 907 of the freedom for russia and
emerging eurasian democracies and open markets support act of
1992.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit a
report to the appropriate committees of Congress on United
States security assistance provided to the Government of
Azerbaijan pursuant to the waiver of section 907 of the
FREEDOM Support Act (Public Law 102-511; 22 U.S.C. 5812
note).
(B) Elements.--The report required by subparagraph (A)
shall address the following:
(i) Documentation of the consideration by the Secretary of
State, during the 5-year period ending on the date of the
enactment of this Act, of all requirements relating to the
waiver of section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act (Public Law
102-511; 22 U.S.C. 5812 note).
(ii) Program-level detail and end-use monitoring reports of
security assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan
under such a waiver during such 5-year period.
(iii) An assessment of the impact of United States security
assistance provided to Azerbaijan on--
(I) the negotiation of a peaceful settlement between
Armenia and Azerbaijan over all disputed regions during such
5-year period; and
(II) the military balance between Azerbaijan and Armenia
during such 5-year period.
(iv) An assessment of Azerbaijan's use of offensive force
against Armenia or violations of Armenian sovereign territory
during the period beginning on November 11, 2020, and ending
on the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Access to the lachin corridor.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report on the Nagorno-Karabakh region that
includes--
(A) an assessment of the humanitarian impact of
Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which connects
Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh; and
(B) an assessment of the blockade's long-term impacts on--
(i) regional food, water, and energy security;
(ii) local civilians' ability to access basic medical care
and other necessities;
(iii) the region's most vulnerable populations, including
children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities; and
(iv) the overall Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and prospects
for de-escalating and avoiding a humanitarian crisis.
(3) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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