S.Amdt. 4706

SA 4706. Mr. NELSON of Nebraska submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 3454, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2011 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:

On page 548, between lines 10 and 11, insert the following:

(h) Repayment of Funds Provided.--

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

(A) The Iraq Security Forces Fund (ISSF) is intended to provide funding in areas where the United States is in a position to make a unique contribution to Iraqi security.

(B) Starting in 2008, Congress called for Government of Iraq to increase the level it financed its own security forces in light of increases in oil revenues and unspent funds.

(C) Iraq has an available surplus of $11,800,000,000, according to a September 2010 report by the Government Accountability Office. The report, entitled “Iraqi-U.S. Cost Sharing”, projected a budget surplus of $52,100,000,000 through the end of 2009, with estimated outstanding advances of $40,300,000,000.

(D) In addition, the security ministries of Iraq did not use between $2,500,000,000 and $5,200,000,000 of their budgeted funds from 2005 through 2009, which could have been used to address security needs, according to the same Government Accountability Office report.

(E) The fiscal year 2011 budget request of the President for the Iraq Security Forces Fund was $2,000,000,000.

(F) The United States has authorized $707,000,000,000 for military operations in Iraq since 2003, of which $24,000,000,000 has been provided for training, equipment, supplies, facility construction, and other services for the Iraqi security forces.

(G) Iraq has the third largest oil reserve in the world, providing a steady source of revenue that has led to budget surpluses even during a period of global economic hardship.

(H) The Government of Iraq should assume responsibility for the costs associated with building its security forces.

(I) The United States budget deficit for fiscal 2010 is estimated at slightly less than $1,300,000,000,000 by the Congressional Budget Office, and the projected deficit for fiscal 2011 is $980,000,000,000.

(J) The United States cannot continue to fund security activities for the Government of Iraq, which now possesses the resources and ability to provide for itself.

(2) Provision of assistance after fiscal year 2010 through loans.--United States funds made available from the Iraq Security Forces Fund after the date of the enactment of this Act shall be provided in the form of loans subject to full repayment to the Government of the United States.

(3) Repayment.--The Secretary of State shall, in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, seek to enter into negotiations with the Government of Iraq in order to enter into an agreement under which the Government of Iraq agrees to repay the United States Government the United States funds provided from the Iraq Security Forces Fund, including United States funds provided before the date of the enactment of this Act and United States funds provided as loans under paragraph (2).

(4) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, submit to Congress a report describing the status of negotiations described in paragraph (3), including any details of the repayment agreement entered into as a result of such negotiations.