CONGRESS FOR VOTERS

DemocratAmendment · S.Amdt. 3553· Senate(119-SAMDT-3553)

S.Amdt. 3553

Rep. Shaheen
Age: 79 years
New Hampshire
Introduced
8/1/2025
Sponsored by
Jeanne Shaheen
Cosponsors
None
Changes bill
119-S-2296 — National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
  1. Introduced
  2. Pending Consideration

What this amendment would do

SA 3553, submitted by Mrs. Shaheen, aims to enable the United States Embassy in Kyiv to operate at full capacity by adding a new section to bill S. 2296.

The amendment proposes the following changes:

  • Personnel Staffing: The Secretary of State must end all restrictions on the number of U.S. personnel at Embassy Kyiv and take steps to ensure staffing levels are at least what they were on January 1, 2025. This is the minimum requirement unless the post is put on Authorized or Ordered Departure status by the embassy's Emergency Action Committee.

  • Waivers: The Secretary of State can waive these staffing requirements if a report is sent to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs certifying that Russian forces have broken through the July 2025 line of contact, established air superiority, or are likely to do so within 30 days.

  • Travel Authority: The Chief of Mission at Embassy Kyiv will have exclusive decision-making power regarding U.S. personnel travel within Ukraine.

  • Sense of Congress: Congress expresses that the embassy needs more capacity and flexibility, notes that Ukrainian armed forces have kept Russian forces at a safe distance from Kyiv, and recognizes the bravery and commitment of the personnel at the embassy.