STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Lee, Ms. Sinema, and Mr.

Paul):

\[S. 2742\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2742). A bill to require the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to

be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate; to the

Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text

of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be

printed in the Record, as follows:

\[S. 2742\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2742)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the \\\`\\\`Federal Prisons

Accountability Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The Director of the Bureau of Prisons leads a law

enforcement component of the Department of Justice with a

budget that exceeds $7,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2018.

(2) With the exception of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation, the Bureau of Prisons has the largest

operating budget of any unit within the Department of

Justice.

(3) The Director of the Bureau of Prisons oversees 122

facilities and is responsible for the welfare of more than

176,000 Federal inmates.

(4) The Director of the Bureau of Prisons supervises more

than 36,000 employees, many of whom operate in hazardous

environments that involve regular interaction with violent

offenders.

(5) Within the Department of Justice, in addition to those

officials who oversee litigating components, the Director of

the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the

Director of the Community Relations Service, the Director of

the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Director of the

Office on Violence Against Women, the Administrator of the

Drug Enforcement Administration, the Deputy Administrator of

the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Director of the

United States Marshals Service, 94 United States Marshals,

the Inspector General of the Department of Justice, and the

Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment

Practices, are all appointed by the President by and with the

advice and consent of the Senate.

(6) Despite the significant budget of the Bureau of Prisons

and the vast number of people under the responsibility of the

Director of the Bureau of Prisons, the Director is not

appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

SEC. 3. DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF PRISONS.

(a) In General.--Section 4041 of title 18, United States

Code, is amended by striking \\\`\\\`appointed by and serving

directly under the Attorney General.'' and inserting the

following: \\\`\\\`who shall be appointed by the President, by and

with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director shall

serve directly under the Attorney General.''.

(b) Incumbent.--Notwithstanding the amendment made by

subsection (a), the individual serving as the Director of the

Bureau of Prisons on the date of enactment of this Act may

serve as the Director of the Bureau of Prisons until the date

that is 3 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be

construed to limit the ability of the President to appoint

the individual serving as the Director of the Bureau of

Prisons on the date of enactment of this Act to the position

of the Director of the Bureau of Prisons in accordance with

section 4041 of title 18, United States Code, as amended by

subsection (a).

(d) Term.--

(1) In general.--Section 4041 of title 18, United States

Code, as amended by subsection (a), is amended by inserting

after \\\`\\\`consent of the Senate.'' the following: \\\`\\\`The

Director shall be appointed for a term of 10 years, except

that an individual appointed to the position of Director may

continue to serve in that position until another individual

is appointed to that position, by and with the advice and

consent of the Senate. An individual may not serve more than

1 term as Director.''.

(2) Applicability.--The amendment made by paragraph (1)

shall apply to appointments made on or after the date of

enactment of this Act.

\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_

By Mr. SCHUMER (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Durbin,

Mr. Peters, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Reed, Ms.

Stabenow, and Mr. Warner):

\[S. 2755\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2755). A bill to require a report on the plan to secure the

enduring defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria; read the first

time.

Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of

the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be

printed in the Record, as follows:

\[S. 2755\](https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2755)

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REPORT ON THE PLAN TO SECURE THE ENDURING DEFEAT

OF THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than 30 days after the date

of the enactment of this Act, the President shall, in

consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of

State, the Director of National Intelligence, the

Administrator of the United States Agency for International

Development, and the heads of other appropriate agencies of

the United States Government, submit to Congress a report

that describes the strategy of the United States to secure

the enduring defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

(ISIS) and al Qaeda in the Middle East.

(b) Elements.--The report required under subsection (a)

shall include, at a minimum, the following elements:

(1) A description of--

(A) the key United States security interests and the

political and military objectives, long-term goals, and

desired end-states for Syria; and

(B) how current military, diplomatic, and humanitarian

assistance efforts in Syria align with such objectives.

(2) Analysis of the threats posed to United States

interests by ISIS, al Qaeda, Hizballah, Russian, Iranian, and

other non-state activities in Syria and the region.

(3) An intelligence assessment of the historic and current

force strength of ISIS and al Qaeda, and the location of such

forces in Syria and the region.

(4) An intelligence assessment of the impact that the death

of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and other senior ISIS

leaders will have on the organization.

(5) A description of ongoing United States and coalition

programs to build the capacity of local forces to counter

ISIS and al Qaeda, including programs for training and

equipping guard forces at detention facilities for detained

ISIS fighters operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

(6) A description of past, present, and planned efforts by

the United States and international community to stabilize

areas liberated from ISIS control, including efforts to

establish local governance and provide basic services.

(7) A description of--

(A) the current detention population of detention

facilities operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces;

(B) the number of ISIS detainees who have escaped such

facilities since October 1, 2019;

(C) efforts to convince the governments of third countries

to repatriate and prosecute ISIS detainees who are nationals

of their countries; and

(D) efforts to ensure that United States support for the

repatriation and prosecution of such ISIS detainees is

appropriately coordinated across Federal departments and

agencies.

\\\[\\\[\[Page\](https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-165/senate-section/page/S6304) \[S6304\](https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-165/senate-section/page/S6304)\\\]\\\]

(8) A description of the current efforts by the United

States and United States partners to advance a sustainable

political settlement in Syria.

(9) A description of the conditions that must be met to

secure the enduring defeat of ISIS and al Qaeda in Syria and

the region.

(10) A description of the United States military and

civilian presence and capabilities required to effectively

monitor and target ISIS and al Qaeda in the region, as well

as an assessment of the risks and limitations to the

effectiveness of such efforts without a United States

military and civilian presence in Syria and the region,

including the feasibility of programming stabilization

assistance without the presence of United States military or

civilian personnel.

(11) An explanation of United States efforts to ensure the

safety of Syrian Kurds and other Syrian nationals who were or

are employed by the United States Government in Syria from

retribution by Turkey, the Assad regime, ISIS, al Qaeda, or

other armed groups.

(12) An assessment of the risks of the involuntary

resettlement of refugees by the Government of Turkey in

northern Syria.

(13) A comprehensive description of United States

Government activities utilizing social media and other

communication technologies strategy to counter ISIS's

propaganda, influence, and ability to recruit fighters

domestically and internationally.

(14) A description of the efforts of the United States

Government, including economic sanctions, to deny financial

resources, including revenues from natural resources

extraction, sale of antiquities, kidnapping, extortion,

taxation, smuggling, access to cash storage sites, and access

to international financial networks, to ISIS and its

affiliates, in conjunction with international partners and

financial institutions.

(c) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall

be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a

classified annex.

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