Floor SpeechNeutral2026-06-24

Text of Senate Amendment 6549

EnvironmentDefense

Context

On 2026-06-24, Senator John Thune (R-SD) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6549" in the Senate.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 6549

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3678-S3679] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6549. Mr. THUNE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him 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 end of subtitle A of title IV, add the following: SEC. 402. EXCLUSION FROM ACTIVE-DUTY PERSONNEL END STRENGTH LIMITATIONS OF CERTAIN MILITARY PERSONNEL. (a) Exclusion.--Except as provided in subsection (d), members of the Armed Forces on active duty who are assigned to an entity specified in subsection (b) for any of the duties specified in subsection (c) shall not count toward any end strength limitation for active-duty personnel otherwise applicable to members of the Armed Forces on active duty. (b) Specified Entities.--The entities specified in this subsection are the following: (1) The military departments. (2) The Defense Security Cooperation Agency. [[Page S3679]] (3) The combatant commands. (c) Specified Duties.--The duties specified in this subsection are the following: (1) Duty in connection with the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. (2) Duty at an embassy of the United States in support of bilateral security cooperation. (3) Duty at an embassy of the United States in support of intelligence requirements. (d) Inapplicability to General and Flag Officers.-- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any general or flag officer assigned as described in that subsection. (e) Rule of Construction.--The exclusion described in subsection (a) shall only be applied in instances when-- (1) any additional revenues relating to the activities described in subsection (c) as a result of the exclusion provided in subsection (a) could be reasonably expected to offset any additional personnel costs relating to the exclusion provided under subsection (a); or (2) any cost avoidance achieved by the exclusion provided under subsection (a) as a result of increased burdensharing by security partners and allies relating to the activities described in subsection (c) could be reasonably expected to offset any additional personnel costs relating to the exclusion provided under subsection (a). ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 6549 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3678-S3679] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6549. Mr. THUNE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him 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 end of subtitle A of title IV, add the following: SEC. 402. EXCLUSION FROM ACTIVE-DUTY PERSONNEL END STRENGTH LIMITATIONS OF CERTAIN MILITARY PERSONNEL. (a) Exclusion.--Except as provided in subsection (d), members of the Armed Forces on active duty who are assigned to an entity specified in subsection (b) for any of the duties specified in subsection (c) shall not count toward any end strength limitation for active-duty personnel otherwise applicable to members of the Armed Forces on active duty. (b) Specified Entities.--The entities specified in this subsection are the following: (1) The military departments. (2) The Defense Security Cooperation Agency. [[Page S3679]] (3) The combatant commands. (c) Specified Duties.--The duties specified in this subsection are the following: (1) Duty in connection with the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. (2) Duty at an embassy of the United States in support of bilateral security cooperation. (3) Duty at an embassy of the United States in support of intelligence requirements. (d) Inapplicability to General and Flag Officers.-- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any general or flag officer assigned as described in that subsection. (e) Rule of Construction.--The exclusion described in subsection (a) shall only be applied in instances when-- (1) any additional revenues relating to the activities described in subsection (c) as a result of the exclusion provided in subsection (a) could be reasonably expected to offset any additional personnel costs relating to the exclusion provided under subsection (a); or (2) any cost avoidance achieved by the exclusion provided under subsection (a) as a result of increased burdensharing by security partners and allies relating to the activities described in subsection (c) could be reasonably expected to offset any additional personnel costs relating to the exclusion provided under subsection (a). ______