[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 10, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H5994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATO: BELLY UP TO THE BAR

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this week President Trump will join 
our allies for the important NATO summit. At the top of this list must 
be countering Russia's aggression and imperialism against our allies 
and the U.S.
  But to achieve this, everyone must contribute to the cause. Of the 29 
nations within NATO, only 8 members--including the United States--are 
meeting the 2 percent of GDP pledge for defense spending.
  For years, there has been a historical problem of excuses made for 
noncompliance by some of our NATO allies. President Trump is right to 
bluntly encourage our friends to meet their obligations to deter Czar 
Putin.
  Neighbors in Texas ask me: Why does the United States spend more 
money defending some European countries than the countries do 
themselves?
  Fair question.
  Mr. Speaker, I support NATO, but our NATO allies would do well to 
stop criticizing the U.S. commitment to NATO and, rather, fully fulfill 
their commitment to our mutual defense. It is time to belly up to the 
bar and pay their share.
  And that is just the way it is.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the 29 countries and whether 
they are meeting their 2 percent guideline or not.


                   NATO Members Meeting 2% Guideline

       1. United States
       2. United Kingdom
       3. Greece
       4. Estonia
       5. Poland
       6. Lithuania
       7. Latvia
       8. Romania


               NATO Members Not Meeting the 2% Guideline

       1. Albania
       2. Belgium
       3. Bulgaria
       4. Canada
       5. Croatia
       6. Czech Republic
       7. Denmark
       8. France
       9. Germany
       10. Hungary
       11. Italy
       12. Luxembourg
       13. Montenegro
       14. Netherlands
       15. Norway
       16. Portugal
       17. Slovak Republic
       18. Slovenia
       19. Spain
       20. Turkey

                          ____________________