[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 482 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 482
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United
States efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region
between and among United States allies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 10, 2019
Mr. Bilirakis (for himself and Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United
States efforts to promote peace and stability in the Gulf region
between and among United States allies.
Whereas the United States maintains a strategic alliance with numerous countries
located in the Gulf region and specifically enjoys a strong relationship
and partnership with the member nations of the Gulf Cooperative Council
(GCC);
Whereas the GCC is a regional political and economic union consisting of its
member states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the
United Arab Emirates (UAE) formally established by the Charter of the
Gulf Cooperation Council on May 25, 1981;
Whereas the United States respects the state sovereignty of all member states in
the GCC;
Whereas the GCC has been a stabilizing force since 1981 in the aftermath of the
1979 Islamic revolution in Iran and the turbulence following the
outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980;
Whereas the founding charter of the GCC emphasized the integration and
interconnection of economics, education, and culture among members
designed to respond to concerns that Iran would emerge as a political,
ideological, and economic power;
Whereas, on June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt officially cut
diplomatic ties with Qatar, a member state of the GCC, resulting in a
cessation of diplomatic relations, closed borders and airspace with
Qatar, and a blockade that has now stretched longer than one year, and
creating increased tensions between members of the GCC, as well as with
other United States allies in the region;
Whereas Qatar's isolation by these countries has created a diplomatic crisis in
the Gulf region challenging the unity of nations that comprise the GCC,
as well as the security of the entire region;
Whereas, on January 13, 2019, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that the
``rift between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors had gone on for too long and
was threatening regional unity needed to counter Iran'';
Whereas Secretary Pompeo also noted that ``Gulf unity was essential for a
planned Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) that would also include
Jordan and Egypt'';
Whereas a key component of the United States military strategy in the Gulf is
the maintenance of a United States military presence in the region with
United States Armed Forces stationed at various Gulf state facilities
that the United States has access to, in accordance with Defense
Cooperation Agreements between the United States and these countries;
Whereas Al-Udeid Air Base has allowed the United States to use strategic assets
to counter ISIS, command and control United States air power in the
region, and conduct missions integral to addressing conflicts in Yemen,
Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and over 15 other nations;
Whereas, on January 14, 2019, Secretary Pompeo signed a memorandum of
understanding with Qatar regarding the expansion and renovation of Al-
Udeid Air Base, which hosts the forward headquarters of the United
States military's Central Command and some 10,000 American troops;
Whereas the ability of ISIS and other terrorist groups to maintain influence in
the Gulf runs counter to the national security objectives of the United
States, the GCC, and the entire region;
Whereas the President of the United States has recognized the importance of
regional cooperation and a united GCC to mitigate regional threats and
ensure the region's economic prosperity, counter Iranian destabilizing
activities, and defeat terrorists and extremists;
Whereas, on April 23, 2017, United States Ambassador to Kuwait Lawrence
Silverman stated that President Trump was eager to find a ``quick and
final'' solution to the Gulf crisis, and Kuwait's Foreign Minister
Khaled al-Jarallah said, ``Kuwait and the Gulf countries were determined
to solve the crisis'';
Whereas the Government of Kuwait has led GCC efforts to resolve the crisis and
has historically called for regional solidarity and diplomatic solutions
to regional conflicts;
Whereas the Trump administration has sought to negotiate a peaceful resolution
to the crisis by hosting visits by several Gulf leaders including that
of Qatar in March and April 2018 and other nations in the region, to
mediate a resolution of the dispute;
Whereas a prolonged rift between our allies in the region threatens efforts to
counter Iran and regional terrorist groups;
Whereas the lengthy blockade has exacted an untold humanitarian cost on all the
people of the region, long-term damage to the GCC's economic and
financial integration, and considerable harm to the region's social
bonds and cultural fabric; and
Whereas the blockade of Qatar has undermined the Middle East's stability and the
United States has a significant national security interest in the
stability and economic prosperity of the Gulf: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) reaffirms its appreciation to the Government of Kuwait
for the efforts they have made in trying to facilitate
mediation between the Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) and its
member states;
(2) reaffirms its support for the GCC and its member states
as allies and partners in combatting terrorism and promoting
stability and prosperity in the Gulf region;
(3) reaffirms United States policy toward the GCC and our
allies, which has remained consistent for decades, that a
united Gulf is in the best interests of the entire Middle East;
and
(4) encourages President Trump and the Secretary of State
to use all efforts at their disposal to resolve the current
crisis peacefully in a manner that is consistent with United
States policy in the region and will be enduring and
enforceable, by initiating a serious mediation effort with GCC
members and Egypt, including the possibility of hosting a
summit among the GCC, Egypt, and the United States.
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