S.Amdt. 2045

SA 2045. Mr. WARNER (for himself and Mr. Webb) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 1585, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 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:

Strike section 1215 and insert the following:

SEC. 1215. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON MILITARY ASSISTANCE AND THE RETURN TO DEMOCRATIC RULE IN THAILAND.

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

(1) Thailand is an important strategic ally and economic partner of the United States.

(2) The United States strongly supports the prompt restoration of democratic rule in Thailand.

(3) While it is in the interest of the United States to have a robust defense relationship with Thailand, it is appropriate that the United States has curtailed certain military-to-military cooperation and assistance programs until democratic rule has been restored in Thailand.

(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) Thailand should continue on the path to restore democratic rule as quickly as possible, and should hold free and fair national elections as soon as possible and no later than December 2007; and

(2) once Thailand has fully reestablished democratic rule, it will be both possible and desirable for the United States to reinstate a full program of military assistance to the Government of Thailand, including programs such as International Military Education and Training (IMET) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) that were appropriately suspended following the military coup in Thailand in September 2006.