[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2209-S2210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                  NATO

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, first I want to take a moment to thank 
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for his remarks at this 
morning's joint session of Congress. I am proud that the Secretary 
General could be here with us in Washington as the North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization celebrates its 70th anniversary this week.
  It is no exaggeration to say that over these seven decades, with 
steady American leadership, NATO shaped world history for the better. 
The proud history of alliance and solidarity has paid huge dividends to 
NATO's member states and to the world.
  NATO, with American leadership, kept the peace and created the 
conditions for an unprecedented period of prosperity for the United 
States, as well as its allies. It has deterred major Soviet and Russian 
aggression and prevented a third world war.
  When communism's Iron Curtain fell over much of the world, we stood 
together for democracy. When the post-Cold War transformation could 
have roiled Eastern and Central Europe, we stood together for 
stability. When brutal killers trampled human rights in the Balkans, we 
stood together for innocent lives. And when terrorist fanatics killed 
thousands of Americans on September 11, we stood together for freedom. 
NATO allies remain with our troops in Afghanistan to this very day.
  It is essential that we keep the alliance healthy and strong. The 
threats we face are numerous, and not least among them, in a kind of 
throwback to the alliance's founding, is an assertive Russia that has 
barely even pretended to honor international commitments, brazenly 
violated arms control agreements, invaded and occupied Ukraine and 
Georgia, and conducted cyber operations and so-called active measures 
against NATO allies. As President Trump has made it clear, keeping NATO 
strong means that all allies must commit to NATO's collective security.
  For our own part, after years of President Obama's defense cuts, the 
United States has turned the corner on defense spending, investing more 
in readiness and modernization. We need to sustain that progress, but, 
of course, NATO allies must live up to their promises to invest in 
their own defense. This isn't about meeting an arbitrary budget number 
but about building real capabilities that are needed to meet real 
requirements identified by the alliance's military commanders. As the 
Secretary General has pointed out, our allies are starting to follow 
our lead. They are on track to contribute an additional $100 billion in 
defense spending.
  There are also other ways NATO must adapt to meet the threats of the 
21st century. It is essential that the alliance follow through on the 
reforms championed by former Secretary Mattis. NATO must modernize its 
capabilities to address interoperability challenges, enhance military 
mobility across the continent, and improve the speed at which it makes 
decisions.
  For today, I just want to thank the Secretary General for his address 
this morning. Every American should be

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proud of what his presence in this Capitol Building represents about 
our Nation's vital role in NATO and NATO's vital role in the world.

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