U.S.-Africa Strategic Security Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6089 To limit the use of funds to be used to reduce the total number of United States Armed Forces deployed to the United States Africa Command area of responsibility. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 4, 2020 Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. CROW, and Mr. BROWN of Maryland) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Armed Services A BILL To limit the use of funds to be used to reduce the total number of United States Armed Forces deployed to the United States Africa Command area of responsibility. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘U.S.-Africa Strategic 4 Security Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:03 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6089 IH SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR A REDUCTION 1 OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF UNITED STATES 2 ARMED FORCES DEPLOYED TO UNITED 3 STATES AFRICA COMMAND AREA OF RESPON- 4 SIBILITY. 5 (a) LIMITATION.—No amounts authorized to be ap- 6 propriated for fiscal year 2020 may be obligated or ex- 7 pended to reduce the total number of United States Armed 8 Forces deployed to United States Africa Command area 9 of responsibility (in this section referred to as ‘‘AFRICOM 10 AOR’’) until the date on which each covered official jointly 11 submits to the appropriate congressional committees a re- 12 port described in subsection (b). 13 (b) REPORT.— 14 (1) IN GENERAL.—A report described in this 15 subsection is a report that addresses each of the fol- 16 lowing: 17 (A) The effect that the withdrawal of any 18 United States Armed Forces from the 19 AFRICOM AOR would have on military, intel- 20 ligence, diplomatic, developmental, and humani- 21 tarian efforts to combat each of the violent ex- 22 tremist organizations described in paragraph 23 (2), including a statement of the current objec- 24 tives of each covered official with respect to 25 such efforts. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6089 IH (B) The strength, regenerative capacity, 1 and intent of each such violent extremist orga- 2 nizations described in paragraph (2) in the 3 AFRICOM AOR, including— 4 (i) an assessment of the number of 5 fighters in the area of responsibility; 6 (ii) the domestic and international 7 threat the violent extremist organizations 8 pose to the United States and its allies; 9 and 10 (iii) the likely reaction of such violent 11 extremist organizations to the withdrawal 12 of United States Armed Forces. 13 (C) The strategic risks involved with coun- 14 tering such violent extremist organizations fol- 15 lowing a withdrawal of United States Armed 16 Forces. 17 (D) The operational risks involved with 18 conducting United States led or enabled oper- 19 ations in Africa against such violent extremist 20 organizations following a withdrawal of United 21 States Armed Forces. 22 (E) The military and political strategy of 23 the covered official for meeting any threat from 24 such violent extremist organizations. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6089 IH (F) The effect any United States with- 1 drawal from Africa would have on Chinese 2 power and influence in Africa. 3 (G) The effect any United States with- 4 drawal from Africa would have on Russian 5 power and influence in Africa. 6 (H) Any efforts the covered official plans 7 to undertake to support legitimate, effective, 8 and democratic local governance in Africa to di- 9 minish the intent, capability, and likelihood of 10 return of such violent extremist organizations. 11 (I) Any consultation or coordination with 12 allies, partners, and associates of the United 13 States concerning the withdrawal of United 14 States Armed Forces from the AFRICOM 15 AOR. 16 (J) An assessment of the likely response 17 from the governments and military forces of 18 France, the United Kingdom, and Canada to 19 the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces 20 from the AFRICOM AOR. 21 (2) VIOLENT EXTREMIST ORGANIZATIONS DE- 22 SCRIBED.—The violent extremist organizations de- 23 scribed in this paragraph are each of the following: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 6089 IH (A) Islamic State in Iraq and Syria 1 (‘‘ISIS’’). 2 (B) Al Qaeda. 3 (C) Ansaroul Islam. 4 (D) Boko Haram. 5 (E) Al-Shabaab. 6 (F) Other adversarial groups and forces in 7 the AFRICOM AOR, as determined by the cov- 8 ered official. 9 (c) WAIVER.—The Secretary of Defense may waive 10 the limitation under subsection (a) if, upon advice of the 11 relevant military commanders, the Secretary determines 12 that the waiver is necessary due to an imminent and ex- 13 traordinary threat to members of the United States 14 Armed Forces in the AFRICOM AOR. 15 (d) FORM.—The report described in subsection (b) 16 shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 17 a classified annex. 18 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 19 (1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com- 20 mittees’’ means— 21 (A) the congressional defense committees 22 (which has the meaning given the term in sec- 23 tion 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States 24 Code); 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 6089 IH (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 1 the House of Representatives and the Com- 2 mittee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and 3 (C) the Permanent Select Committee on 4 Intelligence of the House of Representatives 5 and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 6 Senate. 7 (2) The term ‘‘covered official’’ means— 8 (A) the Secretary of Defense; 9 (B) the Secretary of State; 10 (C) the Director of National Intelligence; 11 (D) the Under Secretary of Defense for 12 Policy; 13 (E) the Under Secretary of Defense for In- 14 telligence; 15 (F) the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 16 International Security Affairs; 17 (G) the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 18 Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict; 19 (H) the Commander of United States Afri- 20 ca Command; 21 (I) the Commander of United States Spe- 22 cial Operations Command; and 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 6089 IH (J) the Administrator of the United States 1 Agency for International Development. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:11 Mar 07, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6089.IH H6089 SSpencer on DSKBBXCHB2PROD with BILLS