[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5390-S5391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3625. Mr. RISCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him 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 appropriate place in subtitle E of title XII, insert
the following:
SEC. 12___. AUSSOM FUNDING RESTRICTION.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(2) AUSSOM.--The term ``AUSSOM'' means the African Union
Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia, established as
the successor mission to the African Union Transition Mission
in Somalia under United Nations Security Council Resolution
2767 (2024).
(3) Resolution 2719.--The term ``Resolution 2719'' means
United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, adopted on
December 21, 2023.
(b) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United
States--
(1) to support Somali- and African partner-led
initiatives--
(A) to contain and defeat al-Shabaab and ISIS-Somalia;
(B) to foster peace, security, stability, and economic
development within Somalia; and
(C) to support the development of functional Somali state
institutions at the national and federal member state level;
(2) to ensure appropriate and fair burden sharing at the
United Nations, including for United Nations peacekeeping
missions and United Nations support to African Union peace
support operations;
(3) to uphold the conditions set forth in Resolution 2719
for the application of United Nations assessed contributions
to African Union peace support operations on a case-by-case
basis, including conditions that require--
(A) that funding from assessed contributions cannot exceed
75 percent of the annual budget of an African Union peace
support operation under a ``one mission, one budget'' model,
with the remaining 25 percent mobilized by the African Union
and United Nations ``from the international community as
extra-budgetary resources'';
(B) compliance with--
(i) the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations
support to non-United Nations security forces;
(ii) the African Union Compliance Framework on
International Human Rights Law;
(iii) the African Union Policy on Conduct and Discipline
for Peace Support Operations; and
(iv) the African Union Policy on Prevention and Response to
Sexual Exploitation and Abuse;
(C) the prioritization of protection of civilians; and
(D) the existence and application of appropriate
accountability mechanisms of African Union-led peace support
operations to member states of the United Nations;
(4) to judiciously consider United States support for the
application of United Nations assessed contributions to
African Union peace support operations, including the
selection of an appropriate first application of Resolution
2719 that--
(A) responds to a new crisis or threat with the
demonstrable need for a multi-lateral response led by the
African Union; and
(B) has clear and achievable objectives; and
(5) to encourage the exploration and utilization of
alternative funding mechanisms for AUSSOM that do not rely on
United Nations assessed contributions to diversify AUSSOM's
financial burden and promote international responsibility-
sharing.
(c) Restriction on Funding.--
(1) Prohibition.--None of the funds appropriated or
otherwise made available for assessed contributions of the
United States to the United Nations, including any organ,
agency, or entity of the United Nations, may be obligated or
expended for--
(A) any activity related to the implementation of
Resolution 2719 in support of AUSSOM or any other African
Union-led peace support mission in Somalia; or
(B) any program, project, or initiative for Somalia
directly linked to the mandate outlined in Resolution 2719.
(2) Direction to united states ambassador to the united
nations.--The United States Ambassador to the United Nations,
or their designee shall use the voice, vote, and influence of
the United States at the United Nations--
(A) to oppose any United Nations Security Council
resolution that would authorize funding prohibited under
paragraph (1); and
(B) to decline to join in consensus on any United Nations
Security Council product, including letters from the United
Nations Security Council President, that authorizes funding
prohibited under paragraph (1).
(3) Exceptions.--This restriction under paragraph (1) shall
not apply to--
(A) the use of United Nations assessed contributions to
fund the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) as
approved by the United Nations Security Council;
(B) the use of voluntary contributions of the United States
to the United Nations or funds expressly appropriated by
Congress to support AUSSOM;
(C) humanitarian assistance funded with United Nations
assessed or voluntary contributions delivered through
nongovernmental organizations or United Nations agencies that
operate independently of AUSSOM; and
(D) expenditures for salaries of United States personnel,
administrative costs, or other support services directly
associated with the oversight or monitoring of assessed
[[Page S5391]]
contributions of the United States to the United Nations to
ensure compliance with this section.
(d) Annual Assessment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the
Secretary of State shall conduct an annual assessment of the
African Union's ability to meet the terms and conditions
outlined in Resolution 2719 paragraphs 3 to 13 for African
Union-led peace support operations to receive United Nations
Security Council authorization to have access to United
Nations assessed contributions.
(2) Independent assessment.--The assessment required under
paragraph (1) shall be conducted independently of any
assessment of the same conducted by the United Nations
Secretary General and reported to the United Nations Security
Council under paragraphs 15 and 16 of Resolution 2719.
(e) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually
thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report that includes--
(1) the findings of the assessment required under
subsection (d);
(2) the total assessed contributions of the United States
to the United Nations for peacekeeping;
(3) the allocations and expenditures for assessed
contributions to the United Nations under Resolution 2719;
(4) an assessment of how United Nations assessed
contributions are being used to implement Resolution 2719;
(5) an analysis of the performance and effectiveness of
AUSSOM, including the types and impact of United States
support to Somalia directly or indirectly impacting the
mission and objectives of AUSSOM;
(6) a breakdown of financial and other support for AUSSOM
provided by the United Nations, African Union, European
Union, and other international and regional actors, including
both bilateral and multilateral contributions;
(7) the status of and progress made toward finding
alternative funding mechanisms for AUSSOM; and
(8) a description of measures taken to ensure compliance
with subsection (c).
(f) Consultations.--Section 4(d)(2) of the United Nations
Participation Act of 1945 (22 U.S.C. 287b(d)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)--
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting ``and
African Union peace support operations receiving United
Nations assessed contributions under United Nations Security
Council Resolution 2719 (2023)(referred to in this paragraph
as `Resolution 2719')'' after ``peacekeeping operations'';
and
(B) in clause (i), by inserting ``or African Union peace
support operation receiving United Nations assessed
contributions under Resolution 2719'' after ``peacekeeping
operation''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)--
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting ``and
African Union peace support operation receiving United
Nations assessed contributions under Resolution 2719'' after
``peacekeeping operation''; and
(B) in clause (v), by inserting ``or African Union peace
support operation receiving United Nations assessed
contributions under Resolution 2719, as the case may be''
after ``peacekeeping operation''.
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