[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2659. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2025 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 A of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. __. REPORT ON WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED 
                   FORCES FROM NIGER AND ON FUTURE SECURITY 
                   COOPERATION IN NIGER, THE SAHEL, AND WEST 
                   AFRICA.

       (a) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to 
     the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 
     circumstances and factors that led up to the departure of the 
     United States Armed Forces from Niger, and policy 
     recommendations for future security cooperation in Niger, the 
     Sahel, and West Africa.
       (2) Contents.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) An examination of the circumstances and actions by the 
     United States and Niger that led to the withdrawal of the 
     United States Armed Forces, including--
       (i) the impact of Niger's July 26, 2023, coup d'etat;
       (ii) actions by partners, allies, and other external 
     actors;
       (iii) United States management of Nigerien concerns 
     regarding the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), the presence 
     of the United States Armed Forces in Niger, and the sharing 
     of intelligence; and
       (iv) the handling of diplomatic tensions and issues by 
     United States and Nigerien officials, including bilateral 
     meetings that occurred in March 2024 resulting in the 
     announcement by the National Council for the Safeguard of the 
     Homeland (CNSP) demanding the withdrawal of the United States 
     Armed Forces from Niger.
       (B) An assessment of the impact of the withdrawal of the 
     United States Armed Forces from Niger on United States 
     national security interests and United States partners and 
     allies in the Sahel and West Africa, including the limits 
     placed on the United States and United States partners and 
     allies to conduct effective counterterrorism operations.
       (C) A risk assessment of United States assets and 
     infrastructure remaining in Niger and the potential use of 
     such assets and infrastructure by the Russian Federation, 
     other malign actors, or violent extremist organizations 
     present in the region.
       (D) An evaluation of the cooperation between the United 
     States Armed Forces and the military forces of Niger through 
     the Joint Disengagement Commission during the withdrawal of 
     the United States Armed Forces from Niger, including the 
     impact of relationships and training from prior United 
     States-Niger military cooperation on the conduct of the Joint 
     Disengagement Commission's work.
       (E) An assessment of the efforts by the National Council 
     for the Safeguard of the Homeland and Nigerien civilian 
     government and military officials to ensure a secure, 
     unhindered, and timely withdrawal of the United States Armed 
     Forces.
       (F) Options for future security cooperation with Niger and 
     a nonpermanent presence of the United States Armed Forces, 
     including conditions and benchmarks for each option.
       (G) A review of the interagency strategy for the Sahel 
     after the withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces from 
     Niger, including recommended options for adapting the 
     approach to the rapidly evolving regional security, 
     development, and political context in the Sahel and West 
     Africa.
       (3) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be 
     submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified 
     annex.
       (b) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Armed Services of the House of Representatives.
                                 ______