[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 31, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6137-S6138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF NATO ALLIED COMMAND TRANSFORMATION

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 146, S. 
Res. 156.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:


[[Page S6138]]


       A resolution (S. Res. 156) expressing the sense of the 
     Senate on the 10-year anniversary of NATO Allied Command 
     Transformation.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution, which had been reported from the Committee on Foreign 
Relations, with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble, as 
follows:
  (Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part 
printed in italic.)
  (Strike the preamble and insert the part printed in italic.)
       Whereas, on June 19, 2003, NATO's Allied Command 
     Transformation (ACT), was formally established to increase 
     military effectiveness and prepare the Alliance for future 
     security challenges;
       Whereas, on June 19, 2013, the North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of 
     the establishment of NATO ACT;
       Whereas the security of the United States and its NATO 
     allies have been enhanced by the establishment and continued 
     work of NATO ACT;
       Whereas, for the past 10 years, ACT has been leading NATO's 
     military transformation, and providing relevant and timely 
     support to NATO operations, while developing partnerships 
     around the globe to adapt to the changing global security 
     environment;
       Whereas ACT is the only NATO headquarters in the United 
     States, and the only permanent NATO headquarters outside of 
     Europe;
       Whereas ACT provides state of the art education, training, 
     and application of best practices and lessons learned from 
     past operations, and equips Alliance troops with the tools 
     they need to win today's wars;
       Whereas ACT improves NATO's defense planning and develops 
     compatible equipment and common standards necessary to keep 
     Alliance capabilities aligned;
       Whereas NATO ACT has been integral to a NATO mission of 
     promoting a Europe that is whole, undivided, free, and at 
     peace;
       Whereas NATO ACT strengthened the ability of NATO to 
     perform a full range of missions throughout the world;
       Whereas NATO ACT has provided crucial support and 
     participation in the NATO International Security Assistance 
     Force in Afghanistan, as NATO endeavors to help the people of 
     Afghanistan create the conditions necessary for security and 
     successful development and reconstruction;
       Whereas ACT employs personnel from 26 of the 28 NATO member 
     nations and six of the 41 NATO Partner nations and 
     contributes more than $100,000,000 annually to the local 
     economy;
       Whereas NATO has been the cornerstone of transatlantic 
     security cooperation and an enduring instrument for promoting 
     stability in Europe and throughout the world for over 60 
     years, representing the vital transatlantic bond of 
     solidarity between the United States and Europe, as NATO 
     nations share similar values and interests and are committed 
     to the maintenance of democratic principles;
       Whereas the Chicago Summit Communique affirms that all NATO 
     members ``are determined that NATO will continue to play its 
     unique and essential role in ensuring our common defense and 
     security'' and that NATO ``continues to be effective in a 
     changing world, against new threats, with new capabilities 
     and new partners'';
       Whereas, through the Alliance, the United States and Europe 
     are effective and steadfast partners in security, and ACT is 
     well positioned to contribute to the strength of the Alliance 
     on both continents;
       Whereas NATO ACT has done much to help NATO meet the global 
     challenges of the 21st century, including the threat of 
     terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, 
     instability caused by failed states, and threats to global 
     energy security; and
       Whereas the 10th anniversary of NATO ACT is an opportunity 
     to enhance and more deeply entrench those principles, which 
     continue to bind the alliance together and guide our efforts 
     today: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the 10th anniversary of the establishment of 
     NATO Allied Command Transformation (NATO ACT);
       (2) recognizes NATO ACT's leading role in transforming 
     Alliance forces and capabilities, using new concepts such as 
     the NATO Response Force and new doctrines in order to improve 
     the Alliance's military effectiveness;
       (3) expresses appreciation for the continuing and close 
     partnership between the United States Government and NATO to 
     transform the Alliance;
       (4) remembers the 64 years NATO has served to ensure peace, 
     security, and stability in Europe throughout the world, and 
     urges the United States Government to continue to seek new 
     ways to deepen and expand its important relationships with 
     NATO;
       (5) recognizes the service of the brave men and women who 
     have served to safeguard the freedom and security of the 
     United States and the whole of the transatlantic alliance;
       (6) honors the sacrifices of United States personnel, 
     allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and 
     partners in Afghanistan;
       (7) recognizes the outstanding partnership between the 
     local community in Norfolk, Virginia and NATO personnel 
     assigned to ACT;
       (8) reaffirms that NATO, through the new Strategic Concept, 
     is committed to helping the Alliance adapt and prepare for 
     the complex and demanding future security;
       (9) urges all NATO members to take concrete steps to 
     implement the Strategic Concept and to utilize the taskings 
     from the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, Illinois, to address 
     current NATO operations, future capabilities and burden-
     sharing issues, and strengthen the relationship between NATO 
     and partners around the world;
       (10) calls upon the President to use the momentum of the 
     occasion of the 10th anniversary of NATO ACT--
       (A) to engage each of the member states of the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization in a dialogue about the long-
     term health of the Alliance, and strongly encourage each of 
     the member states to make a serious effort to protect defense 
     budgets from further reductions, better allocate and 
     coordinate the resources presently available, and recommit to 
     spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) 
     on defense; and
       (B) to examine and report to Congress on recommendations 
     that will lead to a stronger Alliance in terms of military 
     capability and readiness across the 28 member states, with 
     particular focus on the smaller member states; and
       (11) conveys appreciation for the steadfast partnership 
     between NATO and the United States.

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. I further ask unanimous consent that the committee-
reported substitute be agreed to; the resolution, as amended, be agreed 
to; the amendment to the preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as 
amended, be agreed to; and the motions to reconsider be considered made 
and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported substitute was agreed to.
  The resolution (S. Res. 156), as amended, was agreed to.
  The amendment to the preamble was agreed to.
  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

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