S.Amdt. 5646

SA 5646. Mr. CRUZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 5499 submitted by Mr. Reed (for himself and Mr. Inhofe) and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 7900, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2023 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 D of title I, add the following:

SEC. 144. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN REDUCTIONS TO B-BOMBER AIRCRAFT SQUADRONS.

(a) Prohibition.--During the covered period, the Secretary of the Air Force may not--

(1) modify the designed operational capability statement for any B-1 bomber aircraft squadron, as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, in a manner that would reduce the capabilities of such a squadron below the levels specified in such statement as in effect on such date; or

(2) reduce, below the levels in effect on such date of enactment, the number of personnel assigned to units responsible for the operation and maintenance of B-1 aircraft if such reduction would affect the ability of such units to meet the capability described in paragraph (1).

(b) Exception.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not apply to a bomb wing for which the Secretary of the Air Force has commenced the process of replacing B-1 bomber aircraft with B-21 bomber aircraft.

(c) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) The term “covered period” means the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on September 30, 2026.

(2) The term “designed operational capability statement” has the meaning given that term in Air Force Instruction 10-201.

(d) Conforming Repeal.--Section 133 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117-81; 135 Stat. 1574) is repealed.