[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 397 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 397

 Solemnly reaffirming the commitment of the United States to the North 
   Atlantic Treaty Organization's principle of collective defense as 
         enumerated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2017

   Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin (for himself, Ms. Pelosi, Mr. McCarthy, Mr. 
Hoyer, Mr. Royce of California, and Mr. Engel) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Solemnly reaffirming the commitment of the United States to the North 
   Atlantic Treaty Organization's principle of collective defense as 
         enumerated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Whereas more than 250,000 Americans died in the Second World War to liberate 
        Europe from the scourge of genocidal fascism;
Whereas in the wake of the cataclysm of the Second World War, the United States, 
        Canada, and European partners founded the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization (NATO) in Washington in 1949;
Whereas the foundation of NATO is collective defense as enumerated in Article 5 
        of the North Atlantic Treaty which states that, ``The Parties agree that 
        an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America 
        shall be considered an attack against them all.'';
Whereas NATO is one of the most successful military alliances in history, 
        deterring the outbreak of another world war, protecting the territorial 
        integrity of its members, and seeing the Cold War through to a peaceful 
        conclusion;
Whereas Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty has only been invoked once in 
        history when alliance members came to the aid of the United States 
        following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001;
Whereas NATO allies and partners, including Canada and countries in Central, 
        Eastern, and Northern Europe, including countries of the Western 
        Balkans, and the former Soviet Union have stood alongside the United 
        States in joint operations in the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, 
        and elsewhere around the globe;
Whereas NATO remains the foundation of United States foreign policy of promoting 
        a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace;
Whereas at the Wales Summit in 2014, NATO leaders agreed that each alliance 
        member would spend at least two percent of its nation's gross domestic 
        product on defense by 2024;
Whereas multiple Presidents have reaffirmed the commitment of the United States 
        to the collective defense guarantees in Article 5 of the North Atlantic 
        Treaty; and
Whereas the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the sole power to 
        declare war: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) solemnly reaffirms the commitment of the United States 
        to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's principle of 
        collective defense as enumerated in Article 5 of the North 
        Atlantic Treaty;
            (2) strongly supports the decision at the NATO Wales Summit 
        in 2014 that each alliance member would spend at least two 
        percent of its nation's gross domestic product on defense by 
        2024;
            (3) condemns any threat to the sovereignty, territorial 
        integrity, freedom and democracy of any NATO ally; and
            (4) welcomes the Republic of Montenegro as the 29th member 
        of the NATO Alliance.
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