S.Amdt. 2223

SA 2223. Mr. KYL 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:

At the end of subtitle C of title II, add the following:

SEC. 236. POLICY ON PROGRAMS IN SPACE TO DEFEND UNITED STATES ASSETS.

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

(1) United States space-based satellites provide automated reconnaissance and mapping, aid weather prediction, track fleet and troop movements, give accurate positions of United States and enemy forces, and guide missiles and pilotless planes to their targets during military operations.

(2) United States access to space is dependent upon our ability to defend our space assets.

(3) China has an aggressive mission to gain space power, and on January 17, 2007, China successfully conducted an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test that successfully destroyed an inactive Chinese weather satellite.

(4) Space-based weapons in the hands of hostile states constitute an asymmetric capability designed to undermine United States strengths.

(5) Space-based assets have the potential to prevent interference with United States satellites.

(b) Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to protect its military and civilian satellites and to research all potential means of doing so.