[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2283 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2283

  To encourage enhanced security cooperation with European allies and 
    continued enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 1, 2014

 Mr. Johnson of Wisconsin (for himself and Mr. Murphy) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To encourage enhanced security cooperation with European allies and 
    continued enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

    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 Alliance Recognition and 
Promotion Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) On March 12, 2014, the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization (NATO) marked the 15th anniversary of enlargement 
        through the accession of 3 Central European countries: the 
        Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary.
            (2) On March 29, 2014, NATO marked the 10th anniversary of 
        enlargement through the accession of 7 Central European 
        countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, 
        Slovakia, and Slovenia.
            (3) On April 1, 2014, NATO marked the 5th anniversary of 
        enlargement through the accession of Albania and Croatia.
            (4) The incorporation of these European countries into NATO 
        has contributed toward a vision of Europe that is aimed at 
        promoting stability and cooperation and building a Europe whole 
        and free, united in peace, democracy, and common values.
            (5) Since joining the Alliance, these 12 member states have 
        contributed to numerous NATO-led peace and security and 
        stability operations, including the International Security 
        Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF CONGRESS.

    Congress declares that--
            (1) NATO has been the cornerstone of transatlantic security 
        cooperation and an enduring instrument for promoting peace and 
        stability in Europe and around the world for over 65 years;
            (2) the incorporation of the Czech Republic, Poland, 
        Hungary, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, 
        Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, and Croatia has been essential to 
        the success of NATO in this modern era and has strengthened the 
        list of key European allies of the United States;
            (3) since joining NATO, these member states have remained 
        committed to the collective defense of the Alliance and have 
        demonstrated their will and ability to contribute to 
        transatlantic solidarity and assume increasingly more 
        responsibility for efforts to promote international peace and 
        security;
            (4) these NATO member states have become reliable partners 
        and supporters of aspiring members, and the United States 
        recognizes their continued efforts to aid in further NATO 
        enlargement initiatives;
            (5) recent regional aggression has highlighted the 
        importance of a strong, inclusive NATO alliance, with robust 
        defense capabilities;
            (6) the commitment by these NATO members to Alliance 
        principles and active participation in Alliance initiatives 
        demonstrates the success of NATO's Open-Door Policy;
            (7) the United States, as a means of continuous and 
        effective self-help and mutual aid, will continue to work with 
        allies to maintain and improve our individual and collective 
        Allied capacity; and
            (8) the United States will remain committed to enhancing 
        security cooperation with European allies and maintaining a 
        military presence in Europe as a means of promoting Allied 
        interoperability and capabilities and providing visible 
        assurance to NATO allies in the region.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress--
            (1) to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to 
        collective defense under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty;
            (2) that NATO members should review defense spending to 
        ensure sufficient funding related to individual and collective 
        capacity; and
            (3) that the United States, together with NATO allies, 
        should continue to pursue enlargement initiatives for aspirant 
        countries.
                                 <all>