To require reporting on energy security issues involving Europe and the Russian Federation, and to express the sense of Congress regarding ways the United States could help vulnerable allies and partners with energy security.

SA 1486. Mr. CORNYN (for himself, Mr. Hoeven, and Mr. Warner)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1463
proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the
Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe
military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes; as follows:

Purpose: To require reporting on energy security issues
involving Europe and the Russian Federation, and to express
the sense of Congress regarding ways the United States could
help vulnerable allies and partners with energy security.
At the end of subtitle D of title XII, add the following:

SEC. 1257. REPORTING ON ENERGY SECURITY ISSUES INVOLVING
EUROPE AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

(a) Additional Matters in Annual Report on Military and
Security Developments Involving the Russian Federation.--
Section 1245(b) of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck''
McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2015 (Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3566) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following new
paragraph:
``(15) An assessment of Russia's ability to use energy
supplies, particularly natural gas and oil, as tools of
coercion or intimidation to undermine the security of NATO
members or other neighboring countries.''.
(b) Report on European Energy Security and Related
Vulnerabilities.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of National
Intelligence, in consultation with the Secretary of State,
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report assessing the energy security of NATO members, other
European nations who share a border with the Russian
Federation, and Moldova.
(2) Elements.--The report required under paragraph (1)
shall include assessments of the following issues:
(A) The extent of reliance by these nations on the Russian
Federation for supplies of oil and natural gas.
(B) Whether such reliance creates vulnerabilities that
negatively affect the security of those nations.
(C) The magnitude of those vulnerabilities.
(D) The impacts of those vulnerabilities on the national
security and economic interests of the United States.
(E) Any other aspect that the Director determines to be
relevant to these issues.
(3) Appropriate congressional committees defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Select Committee
on Intelligence, and the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Foreign
Affairs of the House of Representatives.

SEC. ___. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON WAYS THE UNITED STATES COULD
HELP VULNERABLE ALLIES AND PARTNERS WITH ENERGY
SECURITY.

It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (Public
Law 94-163) gives the President discretion to allow crude oil
and natural gas exports that the President determines to be
consistent with the national interest;
(2) United States allies and partners in Europe and Asia
have requested access to United States oil and natural gas
exports to limit their vulnerability and to diversify their
supplies, including in the face of Russian aggression and
Middle East volatility; and
(3) the President should exercise existing authorities
related to natural gas and crude oil exports to help aid
vulnerable United States allies and partners, consistent with
the national interest.
______