[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 52 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H3055-H3057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATO FREEDOM CONSOLIDATION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. TANNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the 
Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 494) to endorse further enlargement 
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and to facilitate the 
timely admission of new members to NATO, and for other purposes, and 
ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Watson). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the Senate bill, as follows:

                                 S. 494

       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 Freedom Consolidation 
     Act of 2007''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The sustained commitment of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) to mutual defense has made possible the 
     democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. 
     Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can and 
     should play a critical role in addressing the security 
     challenges of the post-Cold War era in creating the stable 
     environment needed for those emerging democracies in Europe.
       (2) Lasting stability and security in Europe requires the 
     military, economic, and political integration of emerging 
     democracies into existing European structures.
       (3) In an era of threats from terrorism and the 
     proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization is increasingly contributing to 
     security in the face of global security challenges for the 
     protection and interests of its member states.
       (4) In the NATO Participation Act of 1994 (title II of 
     Public Law 103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress declared 
     that ``full and active participants in the Partnership for 
     Peace in a position to further the principles of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty and to contribute to the security of the 
     North Atlantic area should be invited to become full NATO 
     members in accordance with Article 10 of such Treaty at an 
     early date. . .''.
       (5) In the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title 
     VI of section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public Law 
     104-208; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress called for the prompt 
     admission of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and 
     Slovenia to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and 
     declared that ``in order to promote economic stability and 
     security in Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, 
     Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova, and Ukraine . . . the process of 
     enlarging NATO to include emerging democracies in Central and 
     Eastern Europe should not be limited to consideration of 
     admitting Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia 
     as full members of the NATO Alliance''.
       (6) In the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII of 
     division G of Public Law 105-277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), 
     Congress declared that ``Poland, Hungary, and the Czech 
     Republic should not be the last emerging democracies in 
     Central and Eastern Europe invited to join NATO'' and that 
     ``Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria . . . 
     would make an outstanding contribution to furthering the 
     goals of NATO and enhancing stability, freedom, and peace in 
     Europe should they become NATO members [and] upon complete 
     satisfaction of all relevant criteria should be invited to 
     become full NATO members at the earliest possible date''.
       (7) In the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act 
     of 2002 (Public Law 107-187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), Congress 
     endorsed ``. . . the vision of further enlargement of the 
     NATO Alliance articulated by President George W. Bush on June 
     15, 2001, and by former President William J. Clinton on 
     October 22, 1996''.
       (8) At the Madrid Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in July 1997, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech 
     Republic were invited to join the Alliance, and the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of state and government 
     issued a declaration stating ``[t]he alliance expects to 
     extend further invitations in coming years to nations willing 
     and able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of 
     membership . . . [n]o European democratic country whose 
     admission would fulfill the objectives of the [North 
     Atlantic] Treaty will be excluded from consideration''.
       (9) At the Washington Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in April 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization heads of state and government issued a 
     communique declaring ``[w]e pledge that NATO will continue to 
     welcome new members in a position to further the principles 
     of the [North Atlantic] Treaty and contribute to peace and 
     security in the Euro-Atlantic area . . . [t]he three new 
     members will not be the last . . . [n]o European democratic 
     country whose admission would fulfill the objectives of the 
     Treaty will be excluded from consideration, regardless of its 
     geographic location . . .''.
       (10) In May 2000 in Vilnius, Lithuania, the foreign 
     ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
     the Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Romania, Slovakia, and 
     Slovenia issued a statement (later joined by Croatia) 
     declaring that--
       (A) their countries will cooperate in jointly seeking 
     membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the 
     next round of enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization;
       (B) the realization of membership in the North Atlantic 
     Treaty Organization by one or more of these countries would 
     be a success for all; and
       (C) eventual membership in the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization for all of these countries would be a success 
     for Europe and for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
       (11) On June 15, 2001, in a speech in Warsaw, Poland, 
     President George W. Bush stated ``[a]ll of Europe's new 
     democracies, from the Baltic to the Black Sea and all that 
     lie between, should have the same chance for security and 
     freedom--and the same chance to join the institutions of 
     Europe--as Europe's old democracies have . . . I believe in 
     NATO membership for all of Europe's democracies that seek it 
     and are ready to share the responsibilities that NATO brings 
     . . . [a]s we plan to enlarge NATO, no nation should be used 
     as a pawn in the agenda of others . . . [w]e will not trade 
     away the fate of free European peoples . . . [n]o more 
     Munichs . . . [n]o more Yaltas . . . [a]s we plan the Prague 
     Summit, we should not calculate how little we can get away 
     with, but how much we can do to advance the cause of 
     freedom''.
       (12) On October 22, 1996, in a speech in Detroit, Michigan, 
     former President William J. Clinton stated ``NATO's doors 
     will not close behind its first new members . . . NATO should 
     remain open to all of Europe's emerging democracies who are 
     ready to shoulder the responsibilities of membership . . . 
     [n]o nation will be automatically excluded . . . [n]o country 
     outside NATO will have a veto . . . [a] gray zone of 
     insecurity must not reemerge in Europe''.
       (13) At the Prague Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in November 2002, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, 
     Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia were invited to 
     join the Alliance in the second round of enlargement of the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization since the end of the Cold 
     War, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization heads of 
     state and government issued a declaration stating ``NATO's 
     door will remain open to European democracies willing and 
     able to assume the responsibilities and obligations of 
     membership, in accordance with Article 10 of the Washington 
     Treaty''.
       (14) On May 8, 2003, the United States Senate unanimously 
     approved the Resolution of Ratification to Accompany Treaty 
     Document No. 108-4, Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 
     1949 on Accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
     Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia, inviting Bulgaria, Estonia, 
     Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia to join 
     the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
       (15) At the Istanbul Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in June 2004, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization

[[Page H3056]]

     heads of state and government issued a communique reaffirming 
     that NATO's door remains open to new members, declaring 
     ``[w]e celebrate the success of NATO's Open Door Policy, and 
     reaffirm tody that our seven new members will not be the 
     last. The door to membership remains open. We welcome the 
     progress made by Albania, Croatia, and the former Yugoslav 
     Republic of Macedonia (1) in implementing their Annual 
     National Programmes under the Membership Action Plan, and 
     encourage them to continue pursuing the reforms necessary to 
     progress toward NATO membership. We also commend their 
     contribution to regional stability and cooperation. We want 
     all three countries to succeed and will continue to assist 
     them in their reform efforts. NATO will continue to assess 
     each country's candidacy individually, based on the progress 
     made towards reform goals pursued through the Membership 
     Action Plan, which will remain the vehicle to keep the 
     readiness of each aspirant for membership under review. We 
     direct that NATO Foreign Ministers keep the enlargement 
     process, including the implementation of the Membership 
     Action Plan, under continual review and report to us. We will 
     review at the next Summit progress by aspirants towards 
     membership based on that report''.
       (16) Georgia and Ukraine have stated their desire to join 
     the Euro-Atlantic community, and in particular, are seeking 
     to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Georgia and 
     Ukraine are working closely with the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization and its members to meet criteria for eventual 
     membership in NATO.
       (17) At a press conference with President Mikhail 
     Saakashvili of Georgia in Washington, D.C. on July 5, 2006, 
     President George W. Bush stated that ``. . . I believe that 
     NATO would benefit with Georgia being a member of NATO, and I 
     think Georgia would benefit. And there's a way forward 
     through the Membership Action Plan . . . And I'm a believer 
     in the expansion of NATO. I think it's in the world's 
     interest that we expand NATO''.
       (18) Following a meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in New 
     York on September 21, 2006, NATO Secretary General Jaap de 
     Hoop Scheffer announced the launching of an Intensified 
     Dialogue on membership between the Alliance and Georgia.
       (19) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission Summit in Brussels in 
     February 2005, President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko 
     declared membership in NATO as the ultimate goal of Ukraine's 
     cooperation with the Alliance and expressed Ukraine's desire 
     to conclude a Membership Action Plan.
       (20) At the NATO-Ukraine Commission Foreign Ministerial 
     meeting in Vilnius in April 2005, NATO and Ukraine launched 
     an Intensified Dialogue on the potential membership of 
     Ukraine in NATO.
       (21) At the Riga Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in November 2006, the Heads of State and 
     Government of the member countries of NATO issued a 
     declaration reaffirming that NATO's door remains open to new 
     members, declaring that ``all European democratic countries 
     may be considered for MAP (Membership Action Plan) or 
     admission, subject to decision by the NAC (North Atlantic 
     Council) at each stage, based on the performance of these 
     countries towards meeting the objectives of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty. We direct that NATO Foreign Ministers keep 
     that process under continual review and report to us. We 
     welcome the efforts of Albania, Croatia, and the former 
     Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to prepare themselves for the 
     responsibilities and obligations of membership. We reaffirm 
     that the Alliance will continue with Georgia and Ukraine its 
     Intensified Dialogues which cover the full range of 
     political, military, financial and security issues relating 
     to those countries' aspirations to membership, without 
     prejudice to any eventual Alliance decision. We reaffirm the 
     importance of the NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership, which 
     has its 10th anniversary next year and welcome the progress 
     that has been made in the framework of our Intensified 
     Dialogue. We appreciate Ukraine's substantial contributions 
     to our common security, including through participation in 
     NATO-led operations and efforts to promote regional 
     cooperation. We encourage Ukraine to continue to contribute 
     to regional security. We are determined to continue to 
     assist, through practical cooperation, in the implementation 
     of far-reaching reform efforts, notably in the fields of 
     national security, defence, reform of the defence-industrial 
     sector and fighting corruption. We welcome the commencement 
     of an Intensified Dialogue with Georgia as well as Georgia's 
     contribution to international peacekeeping and security 
     operations. We will continue to engage actively with Georgia 
     in support of its reform process. We encourage Georgia to 
     continue progress on political, economic and military 
     reforms, including strengthening judicial reform, as well as 
     the peaceful resolution of outstanding conflicts on its 
     territory. We reaffirm that it is of great importance that 
     all parties in the region should engage constructively to 
     promote regional peace and stability.''.
       (22) Contingent upon their continued implementation of 
     democratic, defense, and economic reform, and their 
     willingness and ability to meet the responsibilities of 
     membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a 
     clear expression of national intent to do so, Congress calls 
     for the timely admission of Albania, Croatia, Georgia, 
     Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine to the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization to promote security and stability in Europe.

     SEC. 3. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.

       Congress--
       (1) reaffirms its previous expressions of support for 
     continued enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization contained in the NATO Participation Act of 1994, 
     the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996, the European 
     Security Act of 1998, and the Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom 
     Consolidation Act of 2002;
       (2) supports the commitment to further enlargement of the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization to include European 
     democracies that are able and willing to meet the 
     responsibilities of Membership, as expressed by the Alliance 
     in its Madrid Summit Declaration of 1997, its Washington 
     Summit Communique of 1999, its Prague Summit Declaration of 
     2002, its Istanbul Summit Communique of 2004, and its Riga 
     Summit Declaration of 2006; and
       (3) endorses the vision of further enlargement of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization articulated by President George 
     W. Bush on June 15, 2001, and by former President William J. 
     Clinton on October 22, 1996, and urges our allies in the 
     North Atlantic Treaty Organization to work with the United 
     States to realize a role for the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization in promoting global security, including 
     continued support for enlargement to include qualified 
     candidate states, specifically by entering into a Membership 
     Action Plan with Georgia and recognizing the progress toward 
     meeting the responsibilities and obligations of NATO 
     membership by Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia (FYROM), 
     and Ukraine.

     SEC. 4. DESIGNATION OF ALBANIA, CROATIA, GEORGIA, MACEDONIA 
                   (FYROM), AND UKRAINE AS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE 
                   ASSISTANCE UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 
                   1994.

       (a) Designation.--
       (1) Albania.--The Republic of Albania is designated as 
     eligible to receive assistance under the program established 
     under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994 
     (title II of Public Law 103-447; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and 
     shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to 
     section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
       (2) Croatia.--The Republic of Croatia is designated as 
     eligible to receive assistance under the program established 
     under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, 
     and shall be deemed to have been so designated pursuant to 
     section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
       (3) Georgia.--Georgia is designated as eligible to receive 
     assistance under the program established under section 203(a) 
     of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to 
     have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such 
     Act.
       (4) Macedonia (fyrom).--The Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 
     is designated as eligible to receive assistance under the 
     program established under section 203(a) of the NATO 
     Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to have been 
     so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such Act.
       (5) Ukraine.--Ukraine is designated as eligible to receive 
     assistance under the program established under section 203(a) 
     of the NATO Participation Act of 1994, and shall be deemed to 
     have been so designated pursuant to section 203(d)(1) of such 
     Act.
       (b) Rule of Construction.--The designation of the Republic 
     of Albania, the Republic of Croatia, Georgia, the Republic of 
     Macedonia (FYROM), and Ukraine pursuant to subsection (a) as 
     eligible to receive assistance under the program established 
     under section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994--
       (1) is in addition to the designation of Poland, Hungary, 
     the Czech Republic, and Slovenia pursuant to section 606 of 
     the NATO Enlargement Facilitation Act of 1996 (title VI of 
     section 101(c) of title I of division A of Public Law 104-
     208; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), the designation of Romania, 
     Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria pursuant to section 
     2703(b) of the European Security Act of 1998 (title XXVII of 
     division G of Public Law 105-277; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note), and 
     the designation of Slovakia pursuant to section 4(a) of the 
     Gerald B. H. Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act of 2002 
     (Public Law 107-187; 22 U.S.C. 1928 note) as eligible to 
     receive assistance under the program established under 
     section 203(a) of the NATO Participation Act of 1994; and
       (2) shall not preclude the designation by the President of 
     other countries pursuant to section 203(d)(2) of the NATO 
     Participation Act of 1994 as eligible to receive assistance 
     under the program established under section 203(a) of such 
     Act.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF SECURITY ASSISTANCE FOR COUNTRIES 
                   DESIGNATED UNDER THE NATO PARTICIPATION ACT OF 
                   1994.

       Of the amounts made available for fiscal year 2008 under 
     section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763) 
     such sums as may be necessary are authorized to be 
     appropriated for assistance to the Republic of Albania, the 
     Republic of Croatia, Georgia, the Republic of Macedonia 
     (FYROM), and Ukraine.

  The Senate bill was ordered to be read a third time, was read the 
third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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