[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 13, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3913-S3914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2873. Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Mr. Gardner) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2282 proposed by Mr.
Inhofe (for himself and Mr. McCain) to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
Strike section 1249 and insert the following:
SEC. 1249. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS FOR REMOVAL OF UNITED
STATES MILITARY FORCES FROM KOREAN PENINSULA.
(a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
(1) On June 25, 1950, the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea (DPRK), under the rule of Kim Il-sung, the grandfather
of Kim Jong-un, launched a surprise attack against forces
from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and small contingent
of United States forces, thus beginning the Korean War.
(2) In June and July of 1950, the United Nations Security
Council adopted Resolutions 82, 83, and 84 calling for the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea to cease hostilities
and withdraw, to recommend that United Nations member nations
provide forces to repel the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea attack, and stating any forces provided should be
unified under the command of the United States, respectively.
(3) Fighting as part of a 1,000,000-strong, 22-nation
United Nations force, 36,574 members of the United States
Armed Forces and 137,899 members of the South Korean military
lost their lives during the three years of armed hostilities
and brutal conflict in the Korean War.
(4) On July 27, 1953, the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Chinese People's Volunteers, and the United Nations
signed an armistice agreement ceasing all hostilities in
Korea and establishing the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
(5) Since 1953, lawfully-deployed United States and United
Nations forces have remained alongside their South Korean
counterparts, continuing to protect and defend South Korea
and deter aggression from the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea.
(6) As a lasting testament the blood and treasure lost
during the Korean War and the strong and unwavering alliance
built from the ashes of the conflict, the Korean War Memorial
in Washington, District of Columbia, and the War Memorial of
Korea in Seoul, South Korea, prominently display the
following inscription: ``Our Nation honors her Sons and
Daughters who answered the call to defend a Country they
never knew and a people they never met.''.
(7) The United States maintains a robust, well-trained, and
ready force of approximately 28,500 members of the Armed
Forces in South Korea, and the presence of the members of the
Armed Forces in South Korea demonstrates the continued
resolve and support of the United States for the enduring
United States-South Korean Alliance.
(8) On December 22, 2017, Kim Jong-un stated, ``The rapid
development of [North Korea's] nuclear force is now exerting
big influence on the world political structure and strategic
environment.''.
(9) On January 1, 2018, Kim Jong-un stated ``The entire
United States is within range of our nuclear weapons, and a
nuclear button is always on my desk. This is reality, not a
threat. This year we should focus on mass producing nuclear
warheads and ballistic missiles for operational
deployment.''.
(10) Despite 11 standalone United Nations Security Council
resolutions against the nuclear and ballistic missile
programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, 8 of
which passed during the rule of Kim Jong-un, the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea has continued to illegally and
unlawfully pursue a long-range, nuclear capability meant to
hold hostage the United States and threaten the security of
the neighbors of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
(11) The 2017 National Security Strategy (NSS) states--
(A) ``Our alliance and friendship with South Korea, forged
by the trials of history, is stronger than ever.'';
(B) ``Allies and partners magnify our power . . . [and]
together with our allies, partners, and aspiring partners,
the United States will pursue cooperation with
reciprocity.''; and
(C) with respect to priority actions in the Indo-Pacific
region, ``We will redouble our commitment to established
alliances and partnerships, while expanding and deepening
relationships with new partners that share respect for
sovereignty . . . and the rule of law.''.
(12) Secretary of Defense James Mattis stated, ``Winston
Churchill noted that the only thing harder than fighting with
allies is fighting without them. History proves that we are
stronger when we stand united with others. Accordingly, our
military will be designed, trained, and ready to fight
alongside allies.''.
(13) The 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS) states,
``Mutually beneficial alliances and partnerships are crucial
to our strategy, providing a durable, asymmetric strategic
advantage that no competitor or rival can match . . . [and
the United States] will strengthen and evolve our alliances
and partnerships into an extended network capable of
deterring or decisively acting to meet the shared challenges
of our time.''.
(14) The unclassified summary of 2018 NDS, an 11-page
document, mentions the term ``allies'' or ``alliances'' over
50 times.
(15) The 2018 NDS states, ``China is a strategic competitor
using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors . . .
[and] it is increasingly clear that China. . .want[s] to
shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model--
gaining veto authority over other nations' economic,
diplomatic, and security decisions.''.
(16) Foreign policy experts have long contended that the
first priority of the People's Republic of China on the
Korean Peninsula is to ensure that the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea remains a buffer between China and the
democratic South Korea and the United States forces deployed
on the Korean Peninsula.
(17) China continues to provide the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea with most of its food and energy supplies
and, until recently, accounted for approximately 90 percent
of the total trade volume of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea.
(18) On June 30, 2017, President Donald Trump stated, ``Our
goal is peace, stability and prosperity for the region. But
the United States will defend itself, always will defend
itself, always, and we will always defend our allies. As part
of that commitment, we are working together to ensure fair
burden sharing and support of the United States military
presence in Republic of Korea.''.
(19) South Korea already pays for approximately 50 percent
of the total nonpersonal costs of the 28,500 United States
members of the Armed Forces on the Korean Peninsula,
amounting to $887,500,000 in 2018.
(20) President Moon Jae-in has committed to increasing the
defense spending of South Korea during his term from the
current level 2.4 percent of the gross domestic product to
2.9 percent of the gross domestic product.
(21) News reports published in early May 2018 have stated
that President Trump asked the Secretary of Defense to
provide him with options for removing United States troops
from the Korean Peninsula.
(22) National Security Advisor John Bolton responded, ``The
President has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for
reducing American forces stationed in South Korea.''.
(23) A spokesman for the Secretary stated, ``The president
has not asked the Pentagon to provide options for reducing
American forces stationed in South Korea. The Department of
Defense's mission in South Korea remains the same, and our
force posture has not changed. The Department of Defense
remains committed to supporting the maximum pressure
campaign, developing and maintaining military options for the
President, and reinforcing our ironclad security commitment
with our allies. We all remain
[[Page S3914]]
committed to complete, verifiable, and irreversible
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.''.
(b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) South Korea is a close friend and ally of the United
States, and the United States-South Korea alliance is the
linchpin of peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region;
(2) the presence of United States military forces on the
Korean Peninsula and across the Indo-Pacific region continues
to play a critical role in safeguarding the peaceful and
stable rules-based international order that benefits all
countries;
(3) South Korea has contributed heavily to its own defense
and to the defense of the United States Armed Forces in South
Korea, including by providing $10,000,000,000 of the
$10,800,000,0000 Camp Humphreys project, which is 93 percent
of the funding, to build and relocate United States military
forces to a new base in South Korea;
(4) United States military forces, pursuant to
international law, are lawfully deployed on the Korean
Peninsula;
(5) the nuclear and ballistic missile programs of the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea are clear and
consistent violations of international law;
(6) the long-stated strategic objective of authoritarian
states such as the People's Republic of China, the Russian
Federation, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has
been the significant removal of United States military forces
from the Korean Peninsula;
(7) the maximum pressure campaign of the Trump
Administration, including an increase in economic sanctions
and diplomatic measures with United States allies and
regional partners, has worked to bring Kim Jong-un to the
negotiation table; and
(8) the significant removal of United States military
forces from the Korean Peninsula is a non-negotiable item as
it relates to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible
denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of
Korea.
(c) Limitation.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and
(3), none of the funds authorized to be appropriated for
fiscal year 2019 for the Department of Defense may be
obligated or expended during the period beginning on the date
of the enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2019,
for any of the following purposes:
(A) To significantly reduce the size or capability of
United States military forces on or around the Korean
Peninsula.
(B) To decrease the overall military balance of force on or
around the Korean Peninsula.
(C) To close or abandon any United States military
installation on or around the Korean Peninsula.
(2) Exception.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the normal
and regular flow of United States military forces for
deployments in the Indo-Pacific region.
(3) Waiver.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense may waive
paragraph (1) if the Secretary submits to the congressional
defense committees a certification that a waiver is in the
national security interests of the United States.
(B) Element.--The certification for a waiver under
subparagraph (A) shall include a written justification for
the waiver.
(4) Sunset.--The limitation under paragraph (1) shall
terminate on the date on which the Secretary submits to the
congressional defense committees a certification that the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea has carried out
complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization.
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