[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 118 (Friday, July 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H6179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           URGING NATO ALLIES TO HONOR FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

  (Mr. BISHOP of Michigan asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BISHOP of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with grave concern 
regarding the security of our world.
  Recently, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act, 
which included my amendment urging our NATO allies to step up and 
participate in the cost of their own defense. President Trump was 
correct to raise this issue at the NATO summit in Brussels.
  America's commitment to our NATO allies is absolutely ironclad--it 
always has been--but for too long, the United States has shared an 
unequal financial burden in contributing to the global and regional 
security that NATO provides.
  In 2014, each member country agreed to spend a minimum of 2 percent 
of their GDP on defense, but currently, only 5 of 29 member countries 
meet this threshold. With new challenges from an increasingly 
belligerent Russian state, instability across the Middle East and North 
Africa, and emerging cybersecurity threats around the world, it is time 
for our allies to honor their commitments.

  As negotiators continue to finalize the NDAA conference report, I 
urge the inclusion of my amendment that passed the House to ensure our 
allies pull their own weight in support of our collective defense, 
which will strengthen NATO and help achieve peace through our 
collective commitment.

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