[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.J. Res. 51 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. J. RES. 51

Authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces against the regime in 
power in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to meet certain objectives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 5, 1999

   Mr. Bateman introduced the following joint resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                            JOINT RESOLUTION


 
Authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces against the regime in 
power in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to meet certain objectives.

Whereas those who govern the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have for most of 
        this decade set upon a course of aggression and barbarism as an 
        instrument to perpetuate themselves in power;
Whereas they initiated a conflict with Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina 
        in pursuit of policies of extreme nationalism, akin to the policies of 
        the Nazi regime in Germany;
Whereas this regime by its conduct has made it clear that it accepted, condoned, 
        and actively supported ethnic cleansing, rape, and terrorism as 
        instruments of their policy;
Whereas after the lessons of Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina were 
        unheeded, the regime of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia undertook an 
        effort to brutalize and ultimately to destroy the Albanian ethnic 
        majority of the formerly autonomous province of Kosovo;
Whereas the history of the Balkans region has been, and tragically continues to 
        be, a cauldron wherein the security and stability of Europe is 
        jeopardized and the possibility of worldwide conflict is induced;
Whereas many forcefully argue that the leadership of the United States and our 
        North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have thus far performed 
        miserably in their response to this crisis, and the United States is now 
        confronted with certain realities that include the fact that the 
        President as Commander-in-Chief has committed United States Armed Forces 
        against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;
Whereas although there is an argument that the ongoing conflict with respect to 
        Kosovo might have been avoided by better policies, this does not alter 
        the fact that the conflict exists and the elected representatives of the 
        people of the United States have a duty to address that reality;
Whereas the United States Congress may choose to declare war against the Federal 
        Republic of Yugoslavia, suspend funding with respect to military action 
        by United States Armed Forces against the Federal Republic of 
        Yugoslavia, or authorize both the military action and the objectives in 
        pursuit of which American lives and treasure are committed;
Whereas although the limited choices available are not attractive and whatever 
        fault may be assigned for why the United States is where it is and what 
        should have been done, it would be unconscionable for the United States 
        Congress not to express itself with respect to the matter;
Whereas for Congress to deny the reality of where we are and to deny funding for 
        future military action against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is not 
        a supportable policy decision, nor is it logical to resolve the issue by 
        a congressional declaration of war against the Federal Republic of 
        Yugoslavia, which includes not only the republics of Serbia and 
        Montenegro but the former autonomous province of Kosovo; and
Whereas the United States and especially the members of the United States Armed 
        Forces need and deserve a clear articulation of our national policies on 
        this matter and it is vitally important that the Congress do so: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This joint resolution may be cited as the ``Authorization for Use 
of Military Force Against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 
Resolution''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

    (a) Authorization.--The President is authorized to use United 
States Armed Forces in conjunction with the military forces of the 
member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 
order to achieve the objectives described in subsection (b). The 
authorization described in the preceding sentence shall include the use 
of those Armed Forces and weapons systems most likely to achieve the 
objectives described in subsection (b), with the least casualties to 
United States and allied forces, innocent civilians, and noncombatants.
    (b) Objectives.--The objectives described in this subsection are 
the following:
            (1) To end the ethnic cleansing and terrorization of the 
        ethnic Albanian population of Kosovo who have been forced into 
        refugee status outside of Kosovo or who have been displaced 
        from their homes by the intolerable actions of the present 
        regime in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
            (2) To establish a practical and enforceable agreement for 
        the return of the ethnic Albanian citizens of Kosovo to their 
        homes with assurances that they can do so in safety, and with 
        respect for basic human rights, including the right to a freely 
        elected government in an autonomous province of Kosovo.

SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON NUMBER OF GROUND FORCES DEPLOYED FOR 
              PEACEKEEPING PURPOSES AND THE COSTS THEREOF.

    (a) Number of Ground Forces.--The President shall work to ensure 
that the United States contribution to any peacekeeping operation 
relating to the conflict in Kosovo does not exceed 4,000 ground troops 
or 14 percent of the total number of ground troops in such peacekeeping 
operation.
    (b) Cost Sharing.--The President shall work to ensure that the 
costs incurred by the United States in connection with a peacekeeping 
operation described in subsection (a) shall not exceed the proportional 
amount contributed by the United States to the NATO Security Investment 
Program.

SEC. 4. COST SHARING WITH RESPECT TO OPERATIONS RELATING TO CONFLICT IN 
              KOSOVO.

    The President shall work to establish an agreement among the member 
nations of NATO under which the costs incurred by each such member 
nation relating to the conflict in Kosovo shall be proportional to the 
amount contributed by each such member nation to the NATO Security 
Investment Program.

SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT THAT PEACE AGREEMENT NOT EXEMPT FROM PROSECUTION 
              INDIVIDUALS INDICTED BY THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL 
              CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA.

    The President shall work with other member nations of the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to ensure that any agreement for 
cessation of military action relating to the conflict in Kosovo does 
not exempt from prosecution any individual who has been or who may be 
indicted by the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the 
Former Yugoslavia.
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