Military Operations in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Limitation Act of 1999

Summary: Military Operations in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Limitation Act of 1999 - Prohibits funds appropriated or otherwise available to the Department of Defense from being obligated or expended for the deployment of ground elements of U.S. forces in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia unless such deployment is specifically authorized by law.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Operations in the Federal 
Republic of Yugoslavia Limitation Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Consideration is being given to the introduction of 
        ground elements of the United States Armed Forces into the 
        Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as part of a North Atlantic 
        Treaty Organization (NATO) operation to halt Serbian military 
        action in the Serbian province of Kosovo.
            (2) Such a deployment, if it were to occur, would in all 
        likelihood represent a commitment to maintain United States 
        ground forces in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for an 
        indeterminate period and cost billions of dollars.
            (3) The Secretary of Defense has previously opposed the 
        deployment of United States ground forces to Kosovo, a province 
        of Serbia, as reflected in his testimony before the Congress on 
        October 6, 1998.
            (4) The deployment of United States ground forces to 
        participate in the peacekeeping operation in Bosnia, which has 
        resulted in the expenditure of approximately $10,000,000,000 by 
        United States taxpayers to date, which has already been 
        extended past 2 previous withdrawal dates established by the 
        Administration, and which shows no sign of ending in the near 
        future, clearly argues that the costs and duration of a 
        deployment of United States ground forces to the Federal 
        Republic of Yugoslavia to halt the conflict and maintain the 
        peace in the province of Kosovo will be much heavier and much 
        longer than initially foreseen.
            (5) The substantial drain on military readiness of a 
        deployment of United States ground forces to the Federal 
        Republic of Yugoslavia would be inconsistent with the need, 
        recently acknowledged by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to reverse 
        the trends which have already severely compromised the ability 
        of the United States Armed Forces to carry out the National 
        Military Strategy of the United States.
            (6) Military operations by the United States Armed Forces 
        against the military forces and infrastructure of the Federal 
        Republic of Yugoslavia--
                    (A) have resulted in a significant depletion of 
                inventories of conventional air-launched cruise 
                missiles, Tomahawk Block III cruise missiles, and other 
                mission-essential armaments;
                    (B) have cost several hundred million dollars and 
                are projected by the Administration to cost more than 
                $5,000,000,000 by the end of fiscal year 1999;
                    (C) have left the western Pacific region without a 
                United States aircraft carrier presence; and
                    (D) have compromised the ability of the United 
                States to perform other critical national security 
                missions, including Operation Northern Watch in the 
                airspace over Iraq, due to a lack of available assets.
            (7) The Congress has already indicated its considerable 
        concern about the possible deployment of United States ground 
        forces to the region, as evidenced by section 8115 of the 
        Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1999 (Public Law 105-
        262; 112 Stat. 2327), which sets forth among other matters a 
        requirement for the President to transmit to the Congress a 
        report detailing the anticipated costs, funding sources, 
        schedule and exit strategy for any additional United States 
        Armed Forces deployed to Yugoslavia, Albania, or Macedonia.
            (8) The President, in his reports to the Congress in 
        response to section 8115 of the Department of Defense 
        Appropriations Act, 1999, has indicated that ``it is not 
        possible to determine how long NATO operations will need to 
        continue . . .'' and that the exit strategy for United States 
        Armed Forces ``will depend on the course of events, and in 
        particular, on Belgrade's reaction to NATO operations.''.
            (9) The introduction of United States Armed Forces into 
        hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in 
        hostilities may occur, clearly indicates authorization by the 
        Congress when such action is not required for the defense of 
        the United States, its Armed Forces, or its nationals.
            (10) United States national security interests in Kosovo do 
        not rise to a level that warrants the introduction of United 
        States ground forces in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for 
        peacemaking or peacekeeping purposes with respect to the 
        conflict in Kosovo.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FUNDS FOR 
              DEPLOYMENT OF UNITED STATES GROUND FORCES TO THE FEDERAL 
              REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA WITHOUT SPECIFIC AUTHORIZATION BY 
              LAW.

    (a) In General.--None of the funds appropriated or otherwise 
available to the Department of Defense may be obligated or expended for 
the deployment of ground elements of the United States Armed Forces in 
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia unless such deployment is 
specifically authorized by a law enacted after the enactment of this 
Act.
    (b) Rule of Construction.--The prohibition in subsection (a) shall 
not apply with respect to the authority of the President under the 
Constitution to initiate missions specifically limited to rescuing 
United States military personnel or citizens in the Federal Republic of 
Yugoslavia.