[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S5317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3553. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2026 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. 1230B. ENABLING THE KYIV EMBASSY TO OPERATE AT FULL 
                   CAPACITY.

       (a) Termination of Personnel Cap.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall terminate all 
     restrictions on the number of United States personnel 
     permitted to be posted at the United States Embassy in Kyiv, 
     Ukraine (in this section referred to as ``Embassy Kyiv'').
       (2) Restoration of staffing.--The Secretary of State shall 
     take all steps required to return at least the number of 
     personnel at Embassy Kyiv to the level present on January 1, 
     2025. This level of staffing shall constitute a minimum 
     number of personnel present at Embassy Kyiv, unless the post 
     is put on Authorized or Ordered Departure status pursuant to 
     a request from Embassy Kyiv's Emergency Action Committee.
       (3) Waiver.--
       (A) In general.--The Secretary of State may waive the 
     requirements under paragraphs (1) or (2) if the Secretary 
     submits to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report certifying one of the following 
     conditions:
       (i) Russian forces have broken through the line of contact 
     between Ukrainian and Russian forces as it existed in July 
     2025.
       (ii) Russian forces have established air superiority over 
     Ukraine.
       (iii) Either of the events described in clauses (i) or (ii) 
     are likely to occur within 30 days time.
       (B) Form.--The report required under subparagraph (A) may 
     be submitted in classified form.
       (b) Travel Authorization.--All decisions regarding the 
     ability of United States personnel to travel within Ukraine 
     shall rest exclusively with the Chief of Mission at Embassy 
     Kyiv.
       (c) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) Embassy Kyiv requires additional capacity and 
     flexibility to carry out the functions expected of our 
     professional diplomats in Ukraine by Congress;
       (2) the Ukrainian armed forces have heroically kept Russian 
     forces a safe distance from Kyiv for United States personnel 
     to operate and support our Ukrainian partners; and
       (3) the women and men at Embassy Kyiv are brave and 
     committed personnel who understand both the risks of 
     operating in a country at war and the meaningful impact they 
     can impart through advancing the United States mission in 
     Ukraine.
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