S.Amdt. 2002

SA 2002. Mr. McCain 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, 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 1273 and insert the following:

SEC. 1273. SENSE OF CONGRESS AND REPORT ON QATAR FIGHTER
AIRCRAFT CAPABILITY CONTRIBUTION TO REGIONAL
SAFETY.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress
that--
(1) the United States should consider, in a timely manner,
the July 2013 Letter of Request from the Government of Qatar
for fighter aircraft;
(2) the approval of such a sale, if found to be in the
national interests of the United States, could contribute to
the self-defense of Qatar, deter the regional ambitions of
Iran, reassure partners and allies of the United States
commitment to regional security, and enhance the strike
capability of fighter aircraft of the Qatar air force;
(3) the ability of our regional partners to respond to
threatening Iranian military actions in the Gulf, such as
closing the Strait of Hormuz or launching a ballistic missile
attack, is a critical element of deterring Iranian aggression
and to maintaining security and stability in the region;
(4) the maintenance by Israel of a Qualitative Military
Edge (QME) is vital, and due diligence is essential in
thoroughly evaluating the impact of such a sale as it relates
to the military capabilities of Israel; and
(5) the Department of State should prioritize its
consideration of whether to issue a Letter of Offer and
Acceptance, to advance the sale of fighter aircraft to the
Government of Qatar so that key decisions can be taken
regarding the way forward for capabilities that are critical
for security and stability in the Middle East.
(b) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the risks
and benefits of the sale of fighter aircraft to Qatar as
described in subsection (a).
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the followings:
(A) A description of the assumptions regarding the increase
to Qatar air force capabilities as a result of the sale.
(B) A description of the assumptions regarding items
described in subparagraph (A) as they may impact the
preservation by Israel of a Qualitative Military Edge.
(C) An estimated timeline for final adjudication of the
decision to approve the sale.
(3) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) may be
submitted in classified or unclassified form.
(4) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.

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