[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5554-S5556]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 1366. Mr. PAUL proposed an amendment to the bill H.R. 6363, making 
further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2024, and for other 
purposes; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in division A, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. __. FIFTEEN PERCENT REDUCTION IN CONTINUING FUNDING 
                   EXCEPT FOR DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, MILITARY 
                   CONSTRUCTION, AND DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS AND RESCISSION OF IRS ENFORCEMENT 
                   FUNDS.

       Division A of the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and 
     Other Extensions Act (Public Law 118-15), as amended by 
     section 101 of this division, is further amended by inserting 
     after section 146 the following:
       ``Sec. 147. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
     rate for operations provided by section 101 of this division 
     is hereby reduced by 15.0 percent.
       ``(b) The rate for operations shall not be reduced under 
     subsection (a) with respect to the appropriation Act 
     described in section 101(3) (relating to the Department of 
     Defense Appropriations Act, 2023) or the appropriation Act 
     described in section 101(10) (relating to the Military 
     Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies 
     Appropriations Act, 2023).
       ``Sec. 148.  Of the unobligated balances of amounts 
     appropriated or otherwise made available for enforcement 
     activities of the Internal Revenue Service by section 
     10301(1)(A)(ii) of Public Law 117-169 (commonly known as the 
     ``Inflation Reduction Act of 2022'') as of the date of 
     enactment of this Act, $30,000,000,000 are hereby 
     rescinded.''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 1367. Mr. PETERS proposed an amendment to the bill S. 3000, to 
repeal Freedom Support Act section 907 waiver authority with respect to 
assistance to Azerbaijan; as follows:

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Armenian Protection Act of 
     2023''.

     SEC. 2. FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT SECTION 907 WAIVER REPEAL.

       The President may not exercise the waiver authority 
     provided pursuant to title II of the Foreign Operations, 
     Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 
     2002 (Public Law 107-115) (22 U.S.C. 5812 note), under the 
     heading ``assistance for the independent states of the former 
     soviet union'' under subsection (g), with respect to amounts 
     appropriated or otherwise made available for fiscal years 
     2024 or 2025.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 1368. Mr. SCHUMER (for Ms. Baldwin) proposed an amendment to the 
bill S. 106, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the 
Secretary of Veterans Affairs to award grants to States to improve 
outreach to veterans, and for other purposes; as follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO 
                   AWARD GRANTS TO STATES TO IMPROVE OUTREACH TO 
                   VETERANS.

       (a) In General.--Chapter 63 of title 38, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating sections 6307 and 6308 as sections 
     6308 and 6309, respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after section 6306 the following new 
     section 6307:

     ``Sec. 6307. Grants to States to improve outreach to veterans

       ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to 
     provide for assistance by the Secretary to States to carry 
     out programs that improve covered outreach and assistance to 
     veterans and the spouses, children, and parents of veterans, 
     to ensure that such individuals are fully informed about, and 
     assisted in

[[Page S5555]]

     applying for, any veterans and veterans-related benefits and 
     programs (including State veterans programs) for which they 
     may be eligible.
       ``(b) Authority.--The Secretary may award grants to 
     States--
       ``(1) to carry out, coordinate, improve, or otherwise 
     enhance--
       ``(A) covered outreach activities; or
       ``(B) activities to assist in the development and submittal 
     of claims for veterans and veterans-related benefits; or
       ``(2) to increase the number of county or tribal veterans 
     service officers serving in the State by hiring new, 
     additional such officers.
       ``(c) Application.--(1) To be eligible for a grant under 
     this section, a State shall submit to the Secretary an 
     application therefor at such time, in such manner, and 
     containing such information as the Secretary may require.
       ``(2) Each application submitted under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       ``(A) A detailed plan for the use of the grant.
       ``(B) A description of the programs through which the State 
     will meet the outcome measures developed by the Secretary 
     under subsection (i).
       ``(C) A description of how the State will distribute grant 
     amounts equitably among counties with varying levels of 
     urbanization.
       ``(D) A plan for how the grant will be used to meet the 
     unique needs of American Indian veterans, Alaska Native 
     veterans, or Native Hawaiian veterans, elderly veterans, and 
     veterans from other underserved communities.
       ``(d) Distribution.--The Secretary shall seek to ensure 
     that grants awarded under this section are equitably 
     distributed among States with varying levels of urbanization.
       ``(e) Priority.--The Secretary shall prioritize awarding 
     grants under this section that will serve the following 
     areas:
       ``(1) Areas with a critical shortage of county or tribal 
     veterans service officers.
       ``(2) Areas with high rates of--
       ``(A) suicide among veterans; or
       ``(B) referrals to the Veterans Crisis Line.
       ``(f) Use of County or Tribal Veterans Service Officers.--A 
     State that receives a grant under this section to carry out 
     an activity described in subsection (b)(1) shall carry out 
     the activity through--
       ``(1) a county or tribal veterans service officer of the 
     State; or
       ``(2) if the State does not have a county or tribal 
     veterans service officer, or if the county or tribal veterans 
     service officers of the State cover only a portion of that 
     State, an appropriate entity of a State, local, or tribal 
     government, or another publicly funded entity, as determined 
     by the Secretary.
       ``(g) Required Activities.--Any grant awarded under this 
     section shall be used--
       ``(1) to expand existing programs, activities, and 
     services;
       ``(2) to hire new, additional county or tribal veterans 
     service officers; or
       ``(3) for travel and transportation to facilitate carrying 
     out paragraph (1) or (2).
       ``(h) Authorized Activities.--A grant under this section 
     may be used to provide education and training, including on-
     the-job training, for State, county, local, and tribal 
     government employees who provide (or when trained will 
     provide) covered outreach services in order for those 
     employees to obtain accreditation in accordance with 
     procedures approved by the Secretary.
       ``(i) Outcome Measures.--(1) The Secretary shall develop 
     and provide to each State that receives a grant under this 
     section written guidance on the following:
       ``(A) Outcome measures.
       ``(B) Policies of the Department.
       ``(2) In developing outcome measures under paragraph (1), 
     the Secretary shall consider the following goals:
       ``(A) Increasing the use of veterans and veterans-related 
     benefits, particularly among vulnerable populations.
       ``(B) Increasing the number of county and tribal veterans 
     service officers recognized by the Secretary for the 
     representation of veterans under chapter 59 of this title.
       ``(j) Tracking Requirements.--(1) With respect to each 
     grant awarded under this section, the Secretary shall track 
     the use of veterans and veterans-related benefits among the 
     population served by the grant, including the average period 
     of time between the date on which a veteran applies for such 
     a benefit and the date on which the veteran receives the 
     benefit, disaggregated by type of benefit.
       ``(2) Not less frequently than annually, the Secretary 
     shall submit to Congress a report on the information tracked 
     under paragraph (1).
       ``(k) Performance Review.--(1) The Secretary shall--
       ``(A) review the performance of each State that receives a 
     grant under this section; and
       ``(B) make information regarding such performance publicly 
     available.
       ``(l) Remediation Plan.--(1) In the case of a State that 
     receives a grant under this section and does not meet the 
     outcome measures developed by the Secretary under subsection 
     (i), the Secretary shall require the State to submit a 
     remediation plan under which the State shall describe how and 
     when it plans to meet such outcome measures.
       ``(2) The Secretary may not award a subsequent grant under 
     this section to a State described in paragraph (1) unless the 
     Secretary approves the remediation plan submitted by the 
     State.
       ``(m) Definitions.--In this section:
       ``(1) The term `county or tribal veterans service officer' 
     includes a local equivalent veterans service officer.
       ``(2) The term `covered outreach' means outreach with 
     respect to--
       ``(A) benefits administered by the Under Secretary for 
     Benefits; or
       ``(B) similar benefits administered by a State or Indian 
     Tribe.
       ``(3) The term `Veterans Crisis Line' means the toll-free 
     hotline for veterans established under section 1720F(h) of 
     this title.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
     beginning of chapter 63 of such title is amended by striking 
     the items relating to sections 6307 and 6308 and inserting 
     the following new items:

``6307. Grants to States to improve outreach to veterans.
``6308. Outreach for eligible dependents.
``6309. Biennial report to Congress.''.
                                 ______
                                 
  SA 1369. Mr. SCHUMER (for Mr. Braun) proposed an amendment to the 
bill S. 1510, to amend provisions relating to the Office of the 
Inspector General of the Government Accountability Office, and for 
other purposes; as follows:

        Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``GAO Inspector General Parity 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE GOVERNMENT 
                   ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE.

       Section 705 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (2)--
       (i) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``The Inspector General'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, by striking the 
     second sentence; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) If the Inspector General is removed from office or is 
     transferred to another position or location within the 
     Government Accountability Office, the Comptroller General 
     shall communicate in writing the substantive rationale, 
     including detailed and case-specific reasons, for any such 
     removal or transfer to both Houses of Congress (including to 
     the appropriate congressional committees), not later than 30 
     days before the removal or transfer.
       ``(C) If there is an open or completed inquiry into the 
     Inspector General that relates to the removal or transfer of 
     the Inspector General under subparagraph (A), the written 
     communication required under subparagraph (B) shall--
       ``(i) identify each entity that is conducting, or that 
     conducted, the inquiry; and
       ``(ii) in the case of a completed inquiry, contain the 
     findings made during the inquiry.
       ``(D) Nothing in this paragraph shall prohibit a personnel 
     action otherwise authorized by law, other than transfer or 
     removal.'';
       (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3)(A) Subject to the other provisions of this paragraph, 
     only the Comptroller General may place the Inspector General 
     on non-duty status.
       ``(B) If the Comptroller General places the Inspector 
     General on non-duty status, the Comptroller General shall 
     communicate in writing the substantive rationale, including 
     detailed and case-specific reasons, for the change in status 
     to both Houses of Congress (including to the appropriate 
     congressional committees) not later than 15 days before the 
     date on which the change in status takes effect, except that 
     the Comptroller General may submit that communication not 
     later than the date on which the change in status takes 
     effect if--
       ``(i) the Comptroller General has made a determination that 
     the continued presence of the Inspector General in the 
     workplace poses a specific threat; and
       ``(ii) in the communication, the Comptroller General 
     includes a report on the determination described in clause 
     (i), which shall include--
       ``(I) the substantive rationale, including detailed and 
     case-specific reasons, for the determination made under 
     clause (i);
       ``(II) an identification of each entity that is conducting, 
     or that conducted, any inquiry upon which the determination 
     under clause (i) was made; and
       ``(III) in the case of an inquiry described in subclause 
     (II) that is completed, the findings made during that 
     inquiry.
       ``(C) The Comptroller General may not place the Inspector 
     General on non-duty status during the 30-day period preceding 
     the date on which the Inspector General is removed or 
     transferred under paragraph (2)(A) unless the Comptroller 
     General--
       ``(i) has made a determination that the continued presence 
     of the Inspector General in the workplace poses a specific 
     threat; and
       ``(ii) not later than the date on which the change in 
     status takes effect, submits to both Houses of Congress 
     (including to the appropriate congressional committees) a 
     written communication that contains the information required 
     under subparagraph (B), including the report required under 
     clause (ii) of that subparagraph.
       ``(D) Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to limit 
     or otherwise modify any statutory protection that is afforded 
     to the Inspector General or a personnel action that is 
     otherwise authorized by law.'';

[[Page S5556]]

       (2) in subsection (f)--
       (A) by striking ``The Comptroller General'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(1) Prohibition.--The Comptroller General''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Budget independence.--The Comptroller General shall 
     include the annual budget request of the Inspector General in 
     the budget of the Government Accountability Office without 
     change.''; and
       (3) in subsection (g)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), in the second sentence, by striking 
     ``, except that no personnel of the Office may be paid at an 
     annual rate greater than $1,000 less than the annual rate of 
     pay of the Inspector General''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(5) Legal advice.--The Inspector General shall, in 
     accordance with applicable laws and regulations governing 
     selections, appointments, and employment at the Government 
     Accountability Office, obtain legal advice from a counsel 
     reporting directly to the Inspector General or another 
     Inspector General.''.

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