Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-24

Text of Senate Amendment 6496

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Context

On 2026-06-24, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6496" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 6496

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3614-S3615] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6496. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 appropriate place in title XII, insert the following: SEC. 10___. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH BELARUS. (a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to not undertake any relaxation of sanctions imposed with respect to Belarus, nor pursue any significant normalization of diplomatic, economic, or other bilateral relations with the Government of Belarus, until the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that, during the preceding 180 days, the Government of Belarus has ceased providing support for, facilitating, accommodating, or otherwise enabling the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine. (b) Strategic Dialogue With the Belarusian Democracy Movement.-- (1) Strategic dialogue.--The Secretary of State shall host a strategic dialogue with the Belarusian democratic movement not less frequently than annually. (2) Central objective.--The annual strategic dialogue with the Belarusian democratic movement shall seek-- (A) to consider the efforts needed to return to democratic rule in Belarus, including the efforts needed to support free and fair elections in Belarus; (B) to support the day-to-day functions of the Belarusian democratic movement, which represents the legitimate aspirations of the Belarusian people; (C) to ensure that Belarusians living outside the territory of Belarus have adequate access to essential government services; (D) to respond to the political, economic, and security impacts of events in Belarus and Russia on neighboring countries and the wider region; (E) to ensure accountability, including through sanctions, for the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko for its human rights abuses and support for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine; (F) to facilitate the release of political prisoners and other wrongfully detained individuals in Belarus, including journalists; and [[Page S3615]] (G) to support Belarusian language and cultural programs, including-- (i) by supporting Belarusian language independent media programs and Belarusian civil society; and (ii) through efforts to restore democracy and the regular function of democratic institutions in Belarus. (c) Assessing Potential Diplomatic Facilities in Belarus.-- (1) Report.--Not later than 180 days before reopening a United States Embassy in Minsk, Republic of Belarus, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that includes-- (A) an assessment of the number of political prisoners remaining in Belarusian jails; (B) a description of how opening a United States diplomatic facility in Minsk will advance efforts to support political prisoners and the Belarusian democratic movement; (C) a description of the Republic of Belarus' facilitation of sanctions evasion by the Russian Federation, including the status of United States enforcement efforts; (D) a description of the scope of the Russian Federation's military presence in the Republic of Belarus and Belarusian authorities' facilitation of Russian military actions against Ukraine; and (E) a description of United States plans to open an embassy in Belarus and ensure the safety of United States diplomatic personnel. (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. (3) Restriction.--The United States Government may not reopen diplomatic facilities in the Republic of Belarus until after the Secretary of State has-- (A) provided assurances to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives of the durability of the United States - Belarus Democratic Movement Strategic Dialogue referred to in subsection (a); (B) convened the Dialogue at least once during the preceding 6-month period; and (C) provided written plans to the committees referred to in subparagraph (A) for future convenings of the Dialogue. (d) Report on Belarus Facilitation of Russia's War in Ukraine.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a classified report assessing-- (1) the nature and extent of political, military, intelligence, logistical, economic, and other support provided by the Government of Belarus to the Russian Federation that has facilitated Russia's war against Ukraine; (2) the extent to which Belarusian territory, airspace, military facilities, transportation networks, communications infrastructure, and other sovereign assets have been used by the Russian Federation to launch, facilitate, sustain, and support military operations against Ukraine, including missile, drone, air, cyber, and other attacks; and (3) Belarusian support for, participation in, or facilitation of, Russian information operations, influence campaigns, disinformation efforts, cyber-enabled activities, and other actions intended to undermine Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United States, or United States partner governments. (e) Belarus' Role in the Russian Federation's Abduction of Ukrainian Children.-- (1) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that includes-- (A) a description of Belarus' historic and ongoing role in facilitating-- (i) the abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation; and (ii) the return of Ukrainian children who have been abducted by the Russian Federation; (B) an assessment of how many abducted Ukrainian children-- (i) remain in the Russian Federation or in Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation; or (ii) remain present on the territory of Belarus; and (C) a description of the extent to which Belarusian authorities are cooperating with efforts to facilitate the return of the children referred to in subparagraph (B)(ii) to Ukraine. (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 6496 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3614-S3615] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6496. Mrs. SHAHEEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 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 appropriate place in title XII, insert the following: SEC. 10___. DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH BELARUS. (a) Statement of Policy.--It is the policy of the United States to not undertake any relaxation of sanctions imposed with respect to Belarus, nor pursue any significant normalization of diplomatic, economic, or other bilateral relations with the Government of Belarus, until the Secretary of State certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that, during the preceding 180 days, the Government of Belarus has ceased providing support for, facilitating, accommodating, or otherwise enabling the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine. (b) Strategic Dialogue With the Belarusian Democracy Movement.-- (1) Strategic dialogue.--The Secretary of State shall host a strategic dialogue with the Belarusian democratic movement not less frequently than annually. (2) Central objective.--The annual strategic dialogue with the Belarusian democratic movement shall seek-- (A) to consider the efforts needed to return to democratic rule in Belarus, including the efforts needed to support free and fair elections in Belarus; (B) to support the day-to-day functions of the Belarusian democratic movement, which represents the legitimate aspirations of the Belarusian people; (C) to ensure that Belarusians living outside the territory of Belarus have adequate access to essential government services; (D) to respond to the political, economic, and security impacts of events in Belarus and Russia on neighboring countries and the wider region; (E) to ensure accountability, including through sanctions, for the regime of Aleksandr Lukashenko for its human rights abuses and support for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine; (F) to facilitate the release of political prisoners and other wrongfully detained individuals in Belarus, including journalists; and [[Page S3615]] (G) to support Belarusian language and cultural programs, including-- (i) by supporting Belarusian language independent media programs and Belarusian civil society; and (ii) through efforts to restore democracy and the regular function of democratic institutions in Belarus. (c) Assessing Potential Diplomatic Facilities in Belarus.-- (1) Report.--Not later than 180 days before reopening a United States Embassy in Minsk, Republic of Belarus, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that includes-- (A) an assessment of the number of political prisoners remaining in Belarusian jails; (B) a description of how opening a United States diplomatic facility in Minsk will advance efforts to support political prisoners and the Belarusian democratic movement; (C) a description of the Republic of Belarus' facilitation of sanctions evasion by the Russian Federation, including the status of United States enforcement efforts; (D) a description of the scope of the Russian Federation's military presence in the Republic of Belarus and Belarusian authorities' facilitation of Russian military actions against Ukraine; and (E) a description of United States plans to open an embassy in Belarus and ensure the safety of United States diplomatic personnel. (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. (3) Restriction.--The United States Government may not reopen diplomatic facilities in the Republic of Belarus until after the Secretary of State has-- (A) provided assurances to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives of the durability of the United States - Belarus Democratic Movement Strategic Dialogue referred to in subsection (a); (B) convened the Dialogue at least once during the preceding 6-month period; and (C) provided written plans to the committees referred to in subparagraph (A) for future convenings of the Dialogue. (d) Report on Belarus Facilitation of Russia's War in Ukraine.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a classified report assessing-- (1) the nature and extent of political, military, intelligence, logistical, economic, and other support provided by the Government of Belarus to the Russian Federation that has facilitated Russia's war against Ukraine; (2) the extent to which Belarusian territory, airspace, military facilities, transportation networks, communications infrastructure, and other sovereign assets have been used by the Russian Federation to launch, facilitate, sustain, and support military operations against Ukraine, including missile, drone, air, cyber, and other attacks; and (3) Belarusian support for, participation in, or facilitation of, Russian information operations, influence campaigns, disinformation efforts, cyber-enabled activities, and other actions intended to undermine Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United States, or United States partner governments. (e) Belarus' Role in the Russian Federation's Abduction of Ukrainian Children.-- (1) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives that includes-- (A) a description of Belarus' historic and ongoing role in facilitating-- (i) the abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation; and (ii) the return of Ukrainian children who have been abducted by the Russian Federation; (B) an assessment of how many abducted Ukrainian children-- (i) remain in the Russian Federation or in Ukrainian territory temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation; or (ii) remain present on the territory of Belarus; and (C) a description of the extent to which Belarusian authorities are cooperating with efforts to facilitate the return of the children referred to in subparagraph (B)(ii) to Ukraine. (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. ______