EAS17071

S.L.C.

115TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION

S. ll

To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify the requirements
for membership in the National Security Council and cabinet-level policy
forum, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
Mr. WARNER

llllllllll
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred
to the Committee on llllllllll

A BILL
To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify
the requirements for membership in the National Security Council and cabinet-level policy forum, and for other
purposes.
1

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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4

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Over-

5 sight of National Security Act of 2017’’.

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S.L.C.

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SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

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FOR NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND CAB-

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INET-LEVEL POLICY FORUM.

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(a) NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL.—Section 101(c)

5 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021(c))
6 is amended—
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(1) in paragraph (1)—

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(A) by striking ‘‘The Council’’ and insert-

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ing ‘‘Except as provided in paragraph (2), the

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Council’’;

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(B) by inserting ‘‘the Director of National

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Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint

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Chiefs of Staff,’’ after ‘‘the Secretary of En-

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ergy,’’; and

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(C) by striking ‘‘and such other officers of

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the United States Government as the President

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may designate.’’ and by inserting ‘‘appointed by

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the President, by and with the advice and con-

19

sent of the Senate.’’;

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(2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the

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following:
‘‘(2) LIMITATION

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TICIPATION.—

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‘‘(A)

ON MEMBERSHIP AND PAR-

APPROVAL

BY

CONGRESS.—The

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President may not designate as a member or

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attendee a covered individual under paragraph

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(1) (excluding the National Security Advisor

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and Deputies, the Homeland Security Advisor

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and Deputies, the Assistant to the President

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and Chief of Staff, the Counsel to the Presi-

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dent, the Assistant to the President for Eco-

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nomic Policy, and Assistant to the Vice Presi-

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dent for National Security) unless a joint reso-

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lution or bill is enacted approving of the des-

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ignation of the covered individual by the Presi-

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dent.
‘‘(B) COVERED

INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In

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this paragraph, the term ‘covered individual’

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means an individual in a position that is not

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subject to confirmation by the Senate.’’.

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SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY FORUM FOR POLICY CONSIDERATION AND DECISIONMAKING.

(a) CREATION.—There is a cabinet-level interagency

18 forum for policy consideration and decisionmaking to sup19 port the National Security Council.
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(b) COMPOSITION.—Except as provided in subsection

21 (c), the composition of the interagency forum for policy
22 consideration and decisionmaking to support the National
23 Security Council shall reflect the membership of the Na24 tional Security Council and any member of the Executive

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1 Branch who is appointed by the President and confirmed
2 by the Senate, as determined by the President.
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(c) EXCEPTIONS.—
(1) IN

GENERAL.—Any

exception to the re-

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quirement of subsection (b) shall only be permitted

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for a one-time decisionmaking action.

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(2) NOTIFICATION

TO CONGRESS.—The

Presi-

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dent shall submit to Congress a notification of any

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exercise of an exception permitted by this subsection

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not later than 24 hours after the execution of such

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exception.