S.Amdt. 3856

SA 3856. Mr. RUBIO submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 3695 proposed by Mr. Shelby to the bill H.R. 6157, making
appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending
September 30, 2019, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on
the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title VIII of division A,
insert the following:
Sec. ___. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in
consultation with the Secretary of State and the Director of
National Intelligence, submit to

[[Page S5777]]

the congressional defense committees a report on the
implications for the national security of the United States,
and for stability in the region concerned, of continuing
instability in each of the following:
(1) Nicaragua.
(2) Venezuela.
(b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include the
following:
(1) A description and assessment of the manner in which the
political, economic, and humanitarian crisis in each of
Nicaragua and Venezuela affects the national security of the
United States, United States interests in the Western
Hemisphere, and stability in the region concerned.
(2) A description and assessment of various policy options
for the United States to mitigate any adverse effects
described pursuant to paragraph (1).
(3) A description and assessment of various policy options
for enhancement of the security partnership between the
United States and Costa Rica (in the case of Nicaragua), the
United States and Colombia (in the case of Venezuela), and
between the United States and other strategic allies in the
region concerned.
(4) A description and assessment of the adequacy of the
posture of the Department of Defense and the Armed Forces to
address continuing or worsening instability in each of
Nicaragua and Venezuela.
(5) A description of the financial and other support, if
any, required by the United States Southern Command to
address continuing or worsening instability in each of
Nicaragua and Venezuela.
(c) The report required by subsection (a) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
______