Oversight of the United States Southern Command

(a) Limitation None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Defense may be obligated or expended to carry out an action described in subsection (b) until a period of 90 days has elapsed following the date on which the Secretary of Defense submits the certification and analysis required under subsection (c) with respect to such action. (b) Actions described The actions described in this subsection are the following: (1) Modifying or combining the responsibilities of the Commander of the United States Southern Command, as set forth in chapter 6 of title 10, United States Code, with those of any other commander designated under such authority. (2) Appointing an officer in a grade below O–10 to serve as the Commander of the United States Southern Command. (c) Certification and analysis required The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees each of the following with respect to any action described in subsection (b) that is proposed to be taken by the Secretary: (1) A certification that, in the determination of the Secretary, the action is in the national security interest of the United States and will be undertaken only after appropriate consultations with Central American, South American, and other international partners on shared security objectives in the Western Hemisphere and its surrounding waters. (2) An analysis of the effect of such action on the security of the United States. (d) Consultation In preparing the certification and analysis required under subsection (c) with respect to an action described in subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the Commander of the United States Southern Command and the commander of any other geographic combatant command expected to be affected by the action. (e) Form (1) Certification The certification required by subsection (c)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form. (2) Analysis The analysis described in subsection (c)(2) may be submitted in classified form.

(a) Limitation None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Defense may be obligated or expended to carry out an action described in subsection (b) until a period of 90 days has elapsed following the date on which the Secretary of Defense submits the certification and analysis required under subsection (c) with respect to such action. (b) Actions described The actions described in this subsection are the following: (1) Modifying or combining the responsibilities of the Commander of the United States Southern Command, as set forth in chapter 6 of title 10, United States Code, with those of any other commander designated under such authority. (2) Appointing an officer in a grade below O–10 to serve as the Commander of the United States Southern Command. (c) Certification and analysis required The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees each of the following with respect to any action described in subsection (b) that is proposed to be taken by the Secretary: (1) A certification that, in the determination of the Secretary, the action is in the national security interest of the United States and will be undertaken only after appropriate consultations with Central American, South American, and other international partners on shared security objectives in the Western Hemisphere and its surrounding waters. (2) An analysis of the effect of such action on the security of the United States. (d) Consultation In preparing the certification and analysis required under subsection (c) with respect to an action described in subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall consult with the Commander of the United States Southern Command and the commander of any other geographic combatant command expected to be affected by the action. (e) Form (1) Certification The certification required by subsection (c)(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form. (2) Analysis The analysis described in subsection (c)(2) may be submitted in classified form.