[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 128 (Tuesday, July 25, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S3554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1046. Mr. HICKENLOOPER (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Risch, Mr. Van
Hollen, Mr. Braun, Mr. Young, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Lankford, and Mr.
Cardin) 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:
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S3554, July 25, 2023, in the third column, the following
appears: SA 1046. Mr. HICKENLOOPER (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr.
Risch, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Brown, . . .
The online Record has been corrected to read: SA 1046. Mr.
HICKENLOOPER (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Risch, Mr. Van Hollen,
Mr. Braun, . . .
========================= END NOTE =========================
At the appropriate place in title I, insert the following:
SEC. ___. LIMITATION ON TERMINATION OF FIGHTER SQUADRONS.
(a) Limitation.--The Secretary of the Air Force may not
terminate the fighter flying mission of any fighter squadron
of the Air National Guard until a period of 180 days has
elapsed following the date on which the Secretary submits the
plan required under subsection (b).
(b) Plan Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of the Air Force, in
coordination with the Director of the Air National Guard,
shall develop a notional plan for the recapitalization of all
fighter squadrons of the Air National Guard.
(2) Elements.--The plan under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) provide options for the modernization of fighter
squadrons of the Air National Guard and the replacement of
the aircraft of such squadrons at a rate that ensures
recapitalization of such squadrons with relevant and more
capable replacement fighter aircraft;
(B) ensure that each fighter squadron of the Air National
Guard has the required minimum of primary mission assigned
fighter aircraft to meet force presentation requirements of
geographic combatant commanders for both steady-state and
operational contingency planning and execution;
(C) include consideration for the temporary reassignment of
aircraft to such squadrons from other components of the Air
Force, as necessary to meet the requirements of the plan; and
(D) include the Secretary of the Air Force's assessment of
any effects of the force presentation on--
(i) combatant commanders;
(ii) aircrew accession absorption capacity;
(iii) industrial capacity to support any additional
production above programmed quantities; and
(iv) costs aside from normal training and personnel costs
of unit mission transitions.
(3) Submittal to congress.--The Secretary of the Air Force
shall submit to the congressional defense committees the plan
required under paragraph (1) together with an explanation
of--
(A) any programmatic funding required to implement such
plan; and
(B) how the plan differs from other plans of the Secretary
of the Air Force with respect to fighter aircraft squadrons
of the Air National Guard (including any such plans in effect
as of the date of the submittal of the plan under paragraph
(1)); and
(C) any effects of the plan on operations and efforts to
recapitalize or transition existing fighter aircraft
squadrons of the Air National Guard as proposed in the
future-years defense program submitted to Congress under
section 221 of title 10, United States Code, for fiscal year
2024.
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