[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1830 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
104th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1830
To amend the NATO Participation Act of 1994 to expedite the transition
to full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of
emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 4, 1996
Mr. Brown for Mr. Dole (for himself, Mr. Brown, Mr. Roth, Mr. Helms,
Mr. McCain, Mr. Specter, Mr. Santorum, Mr. McConnell, and Mr. Gorton)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the NATO Participation Act of 1994 to expedite the transition
to full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of
emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe.
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 ``NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of
1996''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Since 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) has played an essential role in guaranteeing the
security, freedom, and prosperity of the United States and its
partners in the Alliance.
(2) The NATO Alliance is, and has been since its inception,
purely defensive in character, and it poses no threat to any
nation. The enlargement of the NATO Alliance to include as full
and equal members emerging democracies in Central and Eastern
Europe does not threaten any nation. America's security,
freedom, and prosperity remain linked to the security of the
countries of Europe.
(3) The sustained commitment of the member countries of
NATO to a mutual defense has made possible the democratic
transformation of Eastern Europe. Members of the Alliance can
and should play a critical role in addressing the security
challenges of the post-Cold War era and in creating the stable
environment needed for those emerging democracies in Central
and Eastern Europe to successfully complete political and
economic transformation.
(4) NATO has enlarged its membership on 3 different
occasions since 1949.
(5) Congress has sought to facilitate the further
enlargement of NATO at an early date by enacting the NATO
Participation Act of 1994 (title II of Public Law 103-447; 22
U.S.C. 1928 note) and the NATO Participation Act Amendments of
1995 (section 585 of Public Law 104-107).
(6) As new members of NATO assume the responsibilities of
Alliance membership, the costs of maintaining stability in
Europe will be shared more widely. Facilitation of the
enlargement process will require current members of NATO, and
the United States in particular, to demonstrate the political
will needed to build on successful ongoing programs such as the
Warsaw Initiative and the Partnership for Peace by making
available the resources necessary to supplement efforts
prospective new members are themselves undertaking.
(7) New members will be full members of the Alliance,
enjoying all rights and assuming all the obligations under the
Washington Treaty.
(8) Cooperative regional peacekeeping initiatives involving
emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe that have
expressed interest in joining NATO, such as the Baltic
Peacekeeping Battalion, the Polish-Lithuanian Joint
Peacekeeping Force, and the Polish-Ukrainian Peacekeeping
Force, can make an important contribution to European peace and
security and international peacekeeping efforts, assist those
countries preparing to assume the responsibilities of possible
NATO membership, and accordingly should receive appropriate support
from the United States.
(9) The United States continues to regard the political
independence and territorial integrity of all emerging
democracies in Central and Eastern Europe as vital to European
peace and security.
(10) NATO remains the only multilateral security
organization capable of conducting effective military
operations and preserving security and stability of the Euro-
Atlantic region.
(11) NATO is an important diplomatic forum and has played a
positive role in defusing tensions between members of the
Alliance and, as a result, no military action has occurred
between two Alliance member states since the inception of NATO
in 1949.
(12) The admission to NATO of emerging democracies in
Central and Eastern Europe that meet specific criteria for NATO
membership would contribute to international peace and enhance
the security of the region.
(13) A number of Eastern European countries have expressed
interest in NATO membership, and have taken concrete steps to
demonstrate this commitment; including their participation in
Partnership for Peace activities.
(14) In recognition that not all countries which have
requested membership in NATO will necessarily qualify at the
same pace, the accession date for each new member will vary.
(15) The eventual membership of Austria, Finland, and
Sweden is fully expected and is not precluded by this Act.
(16) The provision of additional NATO transition assistance
should include those emerging democracies most ready for closer
ties with NATO and should be designed to assist other countries
meeting specified criteria of eligibility to move forward
toward eventual NATO membership.
(17) The Congress of the United States finds that Poland,
Hungary, and the Czech Republic have made the most progress
toward achieving the stated criteria and should be eligible for
the additional assistance described in this bill.
(18) The evaluation of future membership in NATO for
emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe should be
based on the progress of those nations in meeting criteria for
NATO membership, which require enhancement of NATO's security
and the approval of all NATO members.
SEC. 3. UNITED STATES POLICY.
It should be the policy of the United States--
(1) to join with the NATO allies of the United States to
redefine the role of the NATO Alliance in the post-Cold War
world;
(2) to actively assist the emerging democracies in Central
and Eastern Europe in their transition so that such countries
may eventually qualify for NATO membership; and
(3) to work to define a constructive and cooperative
political and security relationship between an enlarged NATO
and the Russian Federation.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that in order to promote economic
stability and security in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia,
Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine--
(1) the United States should support the full and active
participation of these countries in activities appropriate for
qualifying for NATO membership;
(2) the United States Government should use all diplomatic
means available to press the European Union to admit as soon as
possible any country which qualifies for membership; and
(3) the United States Government and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization should support military exercises and
peacekeeping initiatives between and among these nations,
nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Russia.
SEC. 5. DESIGNATION OF COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE FOR NATO ENLARGEMENT
ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--The following countries are designated as eligible
to receive assistance under the program established under section
203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994: Poland, Hungary, and the
Czech Republic.
(b) Designation of Other Countries.--The President shall designate
other emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe as eligible to
receive assistance under the program established under section 203(a)
of such Act if such countries--
(1) have expressed a clear desire to join NATO;
(2) have begun an individualized dialogue with NATO in
preparation for accession;
(3) are strategically significant to an effective NATO
defense; and
(4) have met the other criteria outlined in section 203(d)
of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 (title II of Public Law
103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note).
(c) Rule of Construction.--Subsection (a) does not preclude the
designation by the President of Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Romania, Slovenia, or any other emerging democracy in Central and
Eastern Europe pursuant to section 203(d) of the NATO Participation Act
of 1994 as eligible to receive assistance under the program established
under section 203(a) of such Act.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR NATO ENLARGEMENT
ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated
$60,000,000 for fiscal year 1997 for the program established under
section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994.
(b) Availability.--Of the funds authorized to be appropriated by
subsection (a)--
(1) $20,000,000 shall be available for the subsidy cost, as
defined in section 502(5) of the Credit Reform Act of 1990, of
direct loans pursuant to the authority of section 203(c)(4) of
the NATO Participation Act of 1994 and section 23 of the Arms
Export Control Act (relating to the ``Foreign Military
Financing Program'');
(2) $30,000,000 shall be available for assistance on a
grant basis pursuant to the authority of section 203(c)(4) of
the NATO Participation Act of 1994 and section 23 of the Arms
Export Control Act (relating to the ``Foreign Military
Financing Program''); and
(3) $10,000,000 shall be available for assistance pursuant
to the authority of section 203(c)(3) of the NATO Participation
Act of 1994 and chapter 5 of part II of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (relating to international military education and
training).
(c) Rule of Construction.--Amounts authorized to be appropriated
under this section are authorized to be appropriated in addition to
such amounts as otherwise may be available for such purposes.
SEC. 7. EXCESS DEFENSE ARTICLES.
(a) Priority Delivery.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the provision and delivery of excess defense articles under the
authority of section 203(c) (1) and (2) of the NATO Participation Act
of 1994 and section 516 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 shall be
given priority to the maximum extent feasible over the provision and
delivery of such excess defense articles to all other countries except
those countries referred to in section 541 of the Foreign Operations,
Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1995 (Public
Law 103-306; 108 Stat. 1640).
(b) Cooperative Regional Peacekeeping Initiatives.--The Congress
encourages the President to provide excess defense articles and other
appropriate assistance to cooperative regional peacekeeping initiatives
involving emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe that have
expressed an interest in joining NATO in order to enhance their ability
to contribute to European peace and security and international
peacekeeping efforts.
SEC. 8. MODERNIZATION OF DEFENSE CAPABILITY.
The Congress endorses efforts by the United States to modernize the
defense capability of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and any
other countries designed by the President pursuant to section 203(d) of
the NATO Participation Act of 1994, by exploring with such countries
options for the sale or lease to such countries of weapons systems
compatible with those used by NATO members, including air defense
systems, advanced fighter aircraft, and telecommunications
infrastructure.
SEC. 9. TERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY.
(a) In General.--Section 203(f) of the NATO Participation Act of
1994 (title II of Public Law 103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) is amended
to read as follows:
``(f) Termination of Eligibility.--(1) The eligibility of a country
designated under subsection (d) for the program established in
subsection (a) shall terminate 60 days after the President makes a
certification under paragraph (2) unless, within the 60-day period, the
Congress enacts a joint resolution disapproving the termination of
eligibility.
``(2) Whenever the President determines that the government of a
country designated under subsection (d)--
``(A) no longer meets the criteria set forth in subsection
(d)(2)(A);
``(B) is hostile to the NATO Alliance; or
``(C) poses a national security threat to the United
States,
then the President shall so certify to the appropriate congressional
committees.
``(3) Nothing in this Act affects the eligibility of countries to
participate under other provisions of law in programs described in this
Act.''.
(b) Congressional Priority Procedures.--Section 203 of such Act is
amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(g) Congressional Priority Procedures.--
``(1) Applicable procedures.--A joint resolution described
in paragraph (2) which is introduced in a House of Congress
shall be considered in accordance with the procedures set forth
in paragraphs (3) through (7) of section 8066(c) of the
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1985 (as contained in
Public Law 98-473; 98 Stat. 1936), except that--
``(A) references to the `resolution described in
paragraph (1)' shall be deemed to be references to the
joint resolution; and
``(B) references to the Committee on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate shall be deemed to be
references to the Committee on International Relations
of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate, respectively.
``(2) Text of joint resolution.--A joint resolution under
this paragraph is a joint resolution the matter after the
resolving clause of which is as follows: `That the Congress
disapproves the certification submitted by the President on
__________ pursuant to section 203(f) of the NATO Participation
Act of 1994.'.''.
SEC. 10. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT.
(a) Conforming Amendment.--The NATO Participation Act of 1994
(title II of Public Law 103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) is amended in
sections 203(a), 203(d)(1), and 203(d)(2) by striking ``countries
emerging from communist domination'' each place it appears and
inserting ``emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe''.
(b) Definitions.--The NATO Participation Act of 1994 (title II of
Public Law 103-446; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) is amended by adding at the
end the following new section:
``SEC. 206. DEFINITIONS.
``The term `emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe'
includes, but is not limited to, Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.''.
SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act:
(1) Emerging democracies in central and eastern europe.--
The term ``emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe''
includes, but is not limited to, Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
(2) NATO.--The term ``NATO'' means the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization.
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