[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 89 (Thursday, June 4, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S3815]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1727. Mr. INHOFE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to 
amendment SA 1463 proposed by Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2016 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to 
prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle D of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1257. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON OPERATION ATLANTIC RESOLVE 
                   AND THE EUROPEAN REASSURANCE INITIATIVE.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) continued United States commitment to the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and our allies in Europe 
     is critical to peace and stability in the region and critical 
     to United States national security;
       (2) actions by Russia, including the invasion and 
     occupation of territories of Georgia, the invasion of Ukraine 
     and annexation of Crimea, continued violations of allied 
     airspace by Russian military aircraft, and continued 
     unprofessional and potentially dangerous close passes with 
     civilian and military aircraft and vessels by Russia threaten 
     that peace and stability;
       (3) Operation Atlantic Resolve, launched in April 2014, 
     demonstrates the steadfast commitment of the United States to 
     our allies in the region against any threat to territorial 
     integrity or sovereignty;
       (4) the European Reassurance Initiative, signed into law in 
     December 2014, has improved United States and North Atlantic 
     Treaty Organization capability and readiness in Central and 
     Eastern Europe;
       (5) pre-positioning ammunition, fuel, and equipment for use 
     in regional training and exercises, as well as improving 
     infrastructure, will enhance North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization operations and enable Eastern European allies to 
     rapidly receive reinforcements;
       (6) increasing the presence of United States forces in the 
     region, including naval forces in the Black Sea, Baltic Sea, 
     and Barents Seas, through stepped-up rotations, training, and 
     exercises will enhance and improve United States and North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization interoperability and 
     cooperation; and
       (7) it is in the United States national interest to 
     continue to these efforts while the threat to the territorial 
     integrity and sovereignty of our allies persists.
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