[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 152 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 152

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        March 30, 2009.
Whereas for 60 years the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has served as 
        the preeminent organization to defend the territories of its member 
        states against all external threats;
Whereas NATO, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and 
        the rule of law, has proved an indispensable instrument for forging a 
        transatlantic community of nations working together to safeguard the 
        freedom and common heritage of its peoples, and promoting stability in 
        the North Atlantic area;
Whereas NATO has acted to address new risks emerging from outside the treaty 
        area in the interests of preserving peace and security in the Euro-
        Atlantic area, and maintains a unique collective capability to address 
        these new challenges which may affect Allied interests and values;
Whereas such challenges to NATO Allied interests and values include the 
        potential for the re-emergence of unresolved historical disputes 
        confronting Europe, rogue states and non-state actors possessing 
        nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons and their means of delivery, 
        transnational terrorism and disruption of the flow of energy resources, 
        and conflicts outside the treaty area that affect vital security 
        interests;
Whereas the security of NATO member states is inseparably linked to that of the 
        whole of Europe, and the consolidation and strengthening of democratic 
        and free societies on the entire continent, in accordance with the 
        principles and commitments of the Organization for Security and 
        Cooperation in Europe, is of direct and material concern to the NATO 
        Alliance and its partners;
Whereas NATO enhances the security of the United States by providing an 
        integrated military structure and a framework for consultations on 
        political and security concerns of any member state;
Whereas NATO remains the embodiment of United States engagement in Europe and 
        therefore membership in NATO remains a vital national security interest 
        of the United States;
Whereas the impending membership of Albania and Croatia will add to NATO's 
        ability to perform the full range of NATO missions and bolster its 
        capability to integrate former communist countries into a community of 
        democracies;
Whereas the organization of NATO national parliamentarians, the NATO 
        Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), serves as a unique transatlantic forum 
        for generating and maintaining legislative and public support for the 
        Alliance, and has played a key role in initiating constructive dialogue 
        between NATO parliamentarians and parliamentarians in associate and 
        observer states;
Whereas NATO PA activities, such as the Rose-Roth program, have played a 
        pioneering role in promoting democratic institutions and encouraging 
        adherence with the principles of the rule of law; and
Whereas the 60th anniversary NATO summit meeting, to be held on April 4, 2009, 
        in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, offers the historic 
        opportunity to chart a course for NATO for the next decade: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
            (1) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is to be commended 
        for its pivotal role in preserving transatlantic peace and stability;
            (2) NATO continues to be the premier institution that promotes a 
        uniquely transatlantic perspective and approach to issues concerning the 
        interests and security of North America and Europe;
            (3) the NATO allies, at the Summit meeting to be held in Strasbourg, 
        France, and Kehl, Germany, in April 2009, should articulate a concrete 
        vision for the Alliance in the 21st century, clearly setting out the 
        continued importance of NATO for the citizens of the Allied nations;
            (4) the Alliance should begin considering a new strategic concept 
        that takes into account the changing international security environment, 
        reaffirms the Alliance's functional and symbolic purposes, and outlines 
        how to develop its military capabilities accordingly;
            (5) the Alliance, while maintaining collective defense as its core 
        function, should, as a fundamental Alliance task, continue to identify 
        and address new areas where it can provide added value in tackling 
        future threats outside the NATO treaty area, based on case-by-case 
        consensual Alliance decision;
            (6) the Alliance should make clear commitments to remedy shortfalls 
        in areas such as logistics, command, control, communications, 
        intelligence, ground surveillance, readiness, deployability, mobility, 
        sustainability, survivability, armaments cooperation, and effective 
        engagement;
            (7) the Alliance must ensure equitable sharing of contributions to 
        the NATO operations, common budgets, and overall defense expenditure and 
        capability building;
            (8) the Alliance must recognize and act upon the threat posed by the 
        proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism by 
        intensifying consultations among political and military leaders, and 
        consider alternative capabilities to counter these threats to the 
        international community;
            (9) the Alliance should pace the process of NATO enlargement and 
        remain prepared to extend invitations for accession negotiations to any 
        appropriate European democracy meeting the criteria for NATO membership 
        as established in the Alliance's 1995 Study on NATO Enlargement; and
            (10) the Alliance should fully support the NATO PA's activities in 
        continuing to deepen cooperation within the Alliance to forge strong 
        links with associate and observer nations.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.