[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 23 (Thursday, February 8, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S531-S533]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1415. Mr. PAUL submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1388 submitted by Mrs. Murray (for herself and Mr. 
Schumer) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 815, to amend 
title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements relating to 
the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for emergency 
treatment furnished through the Veterans Community Care program, and 
for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       On page 61, between lines 12 and 13, insert the following:

     SEC. 709. UKRAINE AID OVERSIGHT.

       (a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the 
     ``Ukraine Aid Oversight Act''.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
       (1) to provide for the independent and objective conduct 
     and supervision of audits and investigations relating to the 
     programs and operations funded with amounts appropriated or 
     otherwise made available to Ukraine for military, economic, 
     and humanitarian aid;
       (2) to provide for the independent and objective leadership 
     and coordination of, and recommendations concerning, policies 
     designed--
       (A) to promote economic efficiency and effectiveness in the 
     administration of the programs and operations described in 
     paragraph (1); and
       (B) to prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse in such 
     programs and operations; and
       (3) to provide for an independent and objective means of 
     keeping the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and 
     the heads of other relevant Federal agencies fully and 
     currently informed about--
       (A) problems and deficiencies relating to the 
     administration of the programs and operations described in 
     paragraph (1); and
       (B) the necessity for, and the progress toward 
     implementing, corrective action related to such programs.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for 
     the military, economic, or humanitarian aid for ukraine.--The 
     term ``amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for 
     military, economic, or humanitarian aid for Ukraine'' means 
     amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for any 
     fiscal year--
       (A) for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative;
       (B) for Foreign Military Financing funding for Ukraine;
       (C) under titles III and VI of the Ukraine Supplemental 
     Appropriations Act (division N of Public Law 117-103);
       (D) under the Additional Ukraine Supplemental 
     Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-128); and
       (E) for military, economic, or humanitarian aid for Ukraine 
     under any other provision of law.
       (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
       (D) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs of the Senate;
       (E) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (F) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (G) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (H) the Committee on Oversight and Accountability of the 
     House of Representatives.
       (3) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of the 
     Special Inspector General for

[[Page S532]]

     Afghanistan Reconstruction and Ukraine Aid renamed under 
     section 4(a).
       (4) Special inspector general.--The term ``Special 
     Inspector General'' means the Special Inspector General for 
     Afghanistan Reconstruction and Ukraine Aid renamed under 
     section 4(b).
       (d) Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
     Reconstruction and Ukraine Aid.--
       (1) Expansion and renaming of office of the special 
     inspector general for afghanistan reconstruction.--Beginning 
     on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office of the 
     Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction--
       (A) shall be referred to as the ``Office of the Special 
     Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and Ukraine 
     Aid''; and
       (B) shall carry out the purposes described in subsection 
     (b).
       (2) Renaming of special inspector general.--Beginning on 
     the date of the enactment of this Act, the Special Inspector 
     General for Afghanistan Reconstruction shall be referred to 
     as the ``Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
     Reconstruction and Ukraine Aid''.
       (3) Compensation.--The annual rate of basic pay of the 
     Special Inspector General shall be 3 percent higher than the 
     annual rate of basic pay provided for positions at level III 
     of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, 
     United States Code.
       (4) Prohibition on political activities.--For purposes of 
     section 7324 of title 5, United States Code, the Special 
     Inspector General is not an employee who determines policies 
     to be pursued by the United States in the nationwide 
     administration of Federal law.
       (5) Removal.--The Special Inspector General shall be 
     removable from office in accordance with section 403(b) of 
     title 5, United States Code.
       (6) Appointment.--If the Special Inspector General is 
     removed from office or otherwise leaves such office, the 
     President shall appoint a new Special Inspector General.
       (e) Assistant Inspectors General.--The Special Inspector 
     General shall be assisted by--
       (1) the Assistant Inspector General for Auditing appointed 
     pursuant to section 1229(d)(1) of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181), 
     who shall supervise the performance of auditing activities 
     relating to programs and operations supported by amounts 
     appropriated or otherwise made available for military, 
     economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine; and
       (2) the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations 
     appointed pursuant to section 1229(d)(2) of the National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 
     110-181), who shall supervise the performance of 
     investigative activities relating to the programs and 
     operations described in paragraph (1).
       (f) Supervision.--
       (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     Special Inspector General shall report directly to, and be 
     under the general supervision of, the Secretary of State and 
     the Secretary of Defense.
       (2) Independence to conduct investigations and audits.--No 
     officer of the Department of Defense, the Department of 
     State, the United States Agency for International 
     Development, or any other relevant Federal agency may prevent 
     or prohibit the Special Inspector General from--
       (A) initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or 
     investigation related to amounts appropriated or otherwise 
     made available for the military, economic, and humanitarian 
     aid to Ukraine; or
       (B) issuing any subpoena during the course of any such 
     audit or investigation.
       (g) Duties.--
       (1) Oversight of military, economic, and humanitarian aid 
     to ukraine provided after february 24, 2022.--In addition to 
     any duties previously carried out as the Special Inspector 
     General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the Special Inspector 
     General shall conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and 
     investigations of the treatment, handling, and expenditure of 
     amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for 
     military, economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and of 
     the programs, operations, and contracts carried out utilizing 
     such funds, including--
       (A) the oversight and accounting of the obligation and 
     expenditure of such funds;
       (B) the monitoring and review of activities funded by such 
     funds;
       (C) the monitoring and review of contracts funded by such 
     funds;
       (D) the monitoring and review of the transfer of such funds 
     and associated information between and among departments, 
     agencies, and entities of the United States and private and 
     nongovernmental entities;
       (E) the maintenance of records regarding the use of such 
     funds to facilitate future audits and investigations of the 
     use of such funds;
       (F) the monitoring and review of the effectiveness of 
     United States coordination with the Government of Ukraine, 
     major recipients of Ukrainian refugees, partners in the 
     region, and other donor countries;
       (G) the investigation of overpayments (such as duplicate 
     payments or duplicate billing) and any potential unethical or 
     illegal actions of Federal employees, contractors, or 
     affiliated entities; and
       (H) the referral of reports compiled as a result of such 
     investigations, as necessary, to the Department of Justice to 
     ensure further investigations, prosecutions, recovery of 
     funds, or other remedies.
       (2) Other duties related to oversight.--The Special 
     Inspector General shall establish, maintain, and oversee such 
     systems, procedures, and controls as the Special Inspector 
     General considers appropriate to discharge the duties 
     described in paragraph (1).
       (3) Consultation.--The Special Inspector General shall 
     consult with the appropriate congressional committees before 
     engaging in auditing activities outside of Ukraine.
       (4) Duties and responsibilities under inspector general act 
     of 1978.--In addition to the duties specified in paragraphs 
     (1) and (2), the Special Inspector General shall have the 
     duties and responsibilities of inspectors general under 
     chapter 4 of title 5, United States Code.
       (5) Coordination of efforts.--In carrying out the duties, 
     responsibilities, and authorities of the Special Inspector 
     General under this Act, the Special Inspector General shall 
     coordinate with, and receive cooperation from--
       (A) the Inspector General of the Department of Defense;
       (B) the Inspector General of the Department of State;
       (C) the Inspector General of the United States Agency for 
     International Development; and
       (D) the Inspector General of any other relevant Federal 
     agency.
       (h) Powers and Authorities.--
       (1) Authorities under chapter 4 of title 5, united states 
     code.--
       (A) In general.--In carrying out the duties specified in 
     subsection (g), the Special Inspector General shall have the 
     authorities provided under section 406 of title 5, United 
     States Code, including the authorities under paragraph (5) of 
     such subsection.
       (B) Retention of certain authorities.--The Special 
     Inspector General--
       (i) shall retain all of the duties, powers, and authorities 
     provided to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
     Reconstruction under section 1229 of the National Defense 
     Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181); 
     and
       (ii) may utilize such powers and authorities as are, in the 
     judgment of the Special Inspector General, necessary to carry 
     out the duties under this section.
       (2) Audit standards.--The Special Inspector General shall 
     carry out the duties specified in subsection (g)(1) in 
     accordance with section 404(b)(1) of title 5, United States 
     Code.
       (i) Personnel, Facilities, and Other Resources.--
       (1) Personnel.--
       (A) In general.--The Special Inspector General may select, 
     appoint, and employ such officers and employees as may be 
     necessary for carrying out the duties of the Special 
     Inspector General under this section, subject to the 
     provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing 
     appointments in the competitive service, and the provisions 
     of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, 
     relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.
       (B) Additional authorities.--
       (i) In general.--Subject to clause (ii), the Inspector 
     General may exercise the authorities under subsections (b) 
     through (i) of section 3161 of title 5, United States Code, 
     without regard to subsection (a) of such section.
       (ii) Periods of appointments.--In exercising the employment 
     authorities under subsection (b) of section 3161 of title 5, 
     United States Code, as authorized under clause (i)--

       (I) paragraph (2) of such subsection (relating to periods 
     of appointments) shall not apply; and
       (II) no period of appointment may extend beyond the date on 
     which the Office terminates pursuant subsection (m).

       (iii) Acquisition of competitive status.--An employee shall 
     acquire competitive status for appointment to any position in 
     the competitive service for which the employee possesses the 
     required qualifications if the employee--

       (I) completes at least 12 months of continuous service 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act; or
       (II) is employed on the date on which the Office terminates 
     pursuant to subsection (m).

       (2) Employment of experts and consultants.--The Special 
     Inspector General may obtain the services of experts and 
     consultants in accordance with section 3109 of title 5, 
     United States Code, at daily rates not to exceed the 
     equivalent rate prescribed for grade GS-15 of the General 
     Schedule under section 5332 of such title.
       (3) Contracting authority.--To the extent and in such 
     amounts as may be provided in advance by appropriations Acts, 
     the Special Inspector General may--
       (A) enter into contracts and other arrangements for audits, 
     studies, analyses, and other services with public agencies 
     and with private persons; and
       (B) make such payments as may be necessary to carry out the 
     duties of the Special Inspector General.
       (4) Resources.--The Secretary of State or the Secretary of 
     Defense, as appropriate, shall provide the Special Inspector 
     General with--
       (A) appropriate and adequate office space at appropriate 
     locations of the Department of State or the Department of 
     Defense, as appropriate, in Ukraine or in European partner 
     countries;

[[Page S533]]

       (B) such equipment, office supplies, and communications 
     facilities and services as may be necessary for the operation 
     of such offices; and
       (C) necessary maintenance services for such offices and the 
     equipment and facilities located in such offices.
       (5) Assistance from federal agencies.--
       (A) In general.--Upon the request of the Special Inspector 
     General for information or assistance from any department, 
     agency, or other entity of the Federal Government, the head 
     of such entity, to the extent practicable and not in 
     contravention of any existing law, shall furnish such 
     information or assistance to the Special Inspector General or 
     an authorized designee.
       (B) Reporting of refused assistance.--Whenever information 
     or assistance requested by the Special Inspector General is, 
     in the judgment of the Special Inspector General, 
     unreasonably refused or not provided, the Special Inspector 
     General shall immediately report the circumstances to--
       (i) the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense, as 
     appropriate; and
       (ii) the appropriate congressional committees.
       (j) Reports.--
       (1) Quarterly reports.--Not later than 30 days after the 
     end of each quarter of each fiscal year, the Special 
     Inspector General shall submit a report to the appropriate 
     congressional committees, the Secretary of State, and the 
     Secretary of Defense that--
       (A) summarizes, for the applicable quarter, and to the 
     extent possible, for the period from the end of such quarter 
     to the date on which the report is submitted, the activities 
     during such period of the Special Inspector General and the 
     activities under programs and operations funded with amounts 
     appropriated or otherwise made available for military, 
     economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine; and
       (B) includes, for applicable quarter, a detailed statement 
     of all obligations, expenditures, and revenues associated 
     with military, economic, and humanitarian activities in 
     Ukraine, including--
       (i) obligations and expenditures of appropriated funds;
       (ii) a project-by-project and program-by-program accounting 
     of the costs incurred to date for military, economic, and 
     humanitarian aid to Ukraine, including an estimate of the 
     costs to be incurred by the Department of Defense, the 
     Department of State, the United States Agency for 
     International Development, and other relevant Federal 
     agencies to complete each project and each program;
       (iii) revenues attributable to, or consisting of, funds 
     provided by foreign nations or international organizations to 
     programs and projects funded by any Federal department or 
     agency and any obligations or expenditures of such revenues;
       (iv) revenues attributable to, or consisting of, foreign 
     assets seized or frozen that contribute to programs and 
     projects funded by any Federal department or agency and any 
     obligations or expenditures of such revenues;
       (v) operating expenses of entities receiving amounts 
     appropriated or otherwise made available for military, 
     economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine; and
       (vi) for any contract, grant, agreement, or other funding 
     mechanism described in paragraph (2)--

       (I) the dollar amount of the contract, grant, agreement, or 
     other funding mechanism;
       (II) a brief description of the scope of the contract, 
     grant, agreement, or other funding mechanism;
       (III) a description of how the Federal department or agency 
     involved in the contract, grant, agreement, or other funding 
     mechanism identified, and solicited offers from, potential 
     individuals or entities to perform the contract, grant, 
     agreement, or other funding mechanism, including a list of 
     the potential individuals or entities that were issued 
     solicitations for the offers; and
       (IV) the justification and approval documents on which the 
     determination to use procedures other than procedures that 
     provide for full and open competition was based.

       (2) Covered contracts, grants, agreements, and funding 
     mechanisms.--A contract, grant, agreement, or other funding 
     mechanism described in this paragraph is any major contract, 
     grant, agreement, or other funding mechanism that is entered 
     into by any Federal department or agency that involves the 
     use of amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for 
     the military, economic, or humanitarian aid to Ukraine with 
     any public or private sector entity--
       (A) to build or rebuild the physical infrastructure of 
     Ukraine;
       (B) to establish or reestablish a political or societal 
     institution of Ukraine;
       (C) to provide products or services to the people of 
     Ukraine; or
       (D) to provide security assistance to Ukraine.
       (3) Public availability.--The Special Inspector General 
     shall publish each report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) 
     on a publicly accessible internet website in English, 
     Ukrainian, and Russian.
       (4) Form.--Each report required under paragraph (1) shall 
     be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a 
     classified annex if the Special Inspector General determines 
     that a classified annex is necessary.
       (5) Submission of comments to congress.--During the 30-day 
     period beginning on the date on which a report is received 
     pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary of State and the 
     Secretary of Defense may submit comments to the appropriate 
     congressional committees, in unclassified form, regarding any 
     matters covered by the report that the Secretary of State or 
     the Secretary of Defense considers appropriate. Such comments 
     may include a classified annex if the Secretary of State or 
     the Secretary of Defense considers such annex to be 
     necessary.
       (6) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may 
     be construed to authorize the public disclosure of 
     information that is--
       (A) specifically prohibited from disclosure by any other 
     provision of law;
       (B) specifically required by Executive order to be 
     protected from disclosure in the interest of defense or 
     national security or in the conduct of foreign affairs; or
       (C) a part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
       (k) Transparency.--
       (1) Report.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), not later 
     than 60 days after receiving a report pursuant to subsection 
     (j)(1), the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense 
     shall jointly make copies of the report available to the 
     public upon request and at a reasonable cost.
       (2) Comments.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), not 
     later than 60 days after submitting comments to Congress 
     pursuant to subsection (j)(5), the Secretary of State and the 
     Secretary of Defense shall jointly make copies of such 
     comments available to the public upon request and at a 
     reasonable cost.
       (3) Waiver.--
       (A) Authority.--The President may waive the requirements 
     under paragraph (1) or (2) with respect to availability to 
     the public of any element in a report submitted pursuant to 
     subsection (j)(1) or any comments submitted to Congress 
     pursuant to subsection (j)(5) if the President determines 
     that such waiver is justified for national security reasons.
       (B) Notice of waiver.--The President shall publish a notice 
     of each waiver made under subparagraph (A) in the Federal 
     Register not later than the date of the submission to the 
     appropriate congressional committees of a report required 
     under subsection (j)(1) or any comments submitted pursuant to 
     subsection (j)(5). Each such report and comments shall 
     specify--
       (i) whether a waiver was made pursuant to subparagraph (A); 
     and
       (ii) which elements in the report or the comments were 
     affected by such waiver.
       (l) Use of Previously Appropriated Funds.--Amounts 
     appropriated before the date of the enactment of this Act for 
     the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
     Reconstruction may be used to carry out the duties described 
     in subsection (g).
       (m) Termination.--
       (1) In general.--The Office shall terminate on September 
     30, 2027.
       (2) Final report.--Before the termination date referred to 
     in paragraph (1), the Special Inspector General shall prepare 
     and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     final forensic audit report on programs and operations funded 
     with amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for the 
     military, economic, and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
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