[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 116 (Thursday, July 11, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H5593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ADOPTING NDAA AMENDMENTS ON NATO CONTRIBUTIONS AND ISRAEL

  (Mr. BIGGS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BIGGS. Mr. Speaker, two amendments I offered to the NDAA were 
adopted.
  The first addresses shared responsibility for the world's security. 
The United States is the most powerful nation on the planet and so must 
remain, but our allies must pull their weight on global security 
efforts. It is not just Americans who benefit from peace, after all.
  For instance, is it fair for economic powerhouse Germany to spend 
only 1.35 percent of its overall GDP toward NATO defense in the coming 
years? I don't think so. We should at least examine the contributions 
of Germany and all of our other allies.
  My amendment simply requires the Department of Defense to report the 
annual defense spending of each of our NATO and non-NATO allies.
  My second amendment affirms the critical importance of the U.S.-
Israel relationship. Since its founding over 50 years ago, Israel has 
been an important strategic partner. Given the significant challenges 
our Nation currently faces in the Middle East, the U.S.-Israel 
relationship remains vital.
  I thank Armed Services Committee Chairman Smith and Ranking Member 
Thornberry for working with me on these amendments.

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