To propose an alternative to section 1083 to improve the Quadrennial Defense Review.

1. Rewrites section 1083

   Replaces

   Removes section 1083.

   Inserted: SEC. 1083. QUADRENNIAL DEFENSE REVIEW.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) under section 118 of title 10, United States Code, is vital in laying out the strategic military planning and threat objectives of the Department of Defense.

   Inserted: (2) The Quadrennial Defense Review is critical to identifying the correct mix of military planning assumptions, defense capabilities, and strategic focuses for the Armed Forces of the United States.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Quadrennial Defense Review is intended to provide more than an overview of global threats and the general strategic orientation of the Department of Defense.

   Inserted: (c) Improvements to Quadrennial Defense Review.--

   Inserted: (1) Conduct of review.--Subsection (b) of section 118 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--

   Inserted: (A) in paragraph (2), by striking "and" at the end;

   Inserted: (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting "; and"; and

   Inserted: (C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

   Inserted: "(4) to make recommendations that are not constrained to comply with the budget submitted to Congress by the President pursuant to section 1105 of title 31.".

   Inserted: (2) Additional element in report to congress.--Subsection (d) of such section is amended--

   Show 14 more inserted paragraphsShow less

   Inserted: (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ", the strategic planning guidance," after "United States";

   Inserted: (B) by redesignating paragraphs (9) through (15) as paragraphs (10) through (16), respectively; and

   Inserted: (C) by inserting after paragraph (8) the following new paragraph (9):

   Inserted: "(9) The specific capabilities, including the general number and type of specific military platforms, needed to achieve the strategic and warfighting objectives identified in the review.".

   Inserted: (3) CJCS review.--Subsection (e)(1) of such section is amended by inserting before the period at the end the following: " and a description of the capabilities needed to address such risk".

   Inserted: (4) Independent assessment.--Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

   Inserted: "(f) Independent Assessment.--(1) Not later than one year before the date a report on a quadrennial defense review is to be submitted to Congress under subsection (d), the President shall appoint a panel to conduct an independent assessment of the review.

   Inserted: "(2) The panel appointed under paragraph (1) shall be composed of seven individuals (who may not be employees of the Department of Defense) as follows:

   Inserted: "(A) Three members shall be appointed by the President.

   Inserted: "(B) One member shall be appointed by the President in consultation with, and based on the recommendations of, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

   Inserted: "(C) One member shall be appointed by the President in consultation with, and based on the recommendations of, the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

   Inserted: "(D) One member shall be appointed by the President in consultation with, and based on the recommendations of, the Majority Leader of the Senate.

   Inserted: "(E) One member shall be appointed by the President in consultation with, and based on the recommendations of, the Minority Leader of the Senate.

   Inserted: "(3) Not later than three months after the date that the report on a quadrennial defense review is submitted to Congress under subsection (d), the panel appointed under paragraph (2) shall provide to the congressional defense committees an assessment of the assumptions, planning guidelines, recommendations, and realism of the review.".

   Original wording

   Strike section 1083 and insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed