[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 45 (Monday, March 9, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H1546-H1547]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     EASTERN EUROPEAN SECURITY ACT

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2444) to authorize the Secretary of State to make direct loans 
under section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2444

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Eastern European Security 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that it is in the national 
     security interest of the United States to--
       (1) deter aggression against North Atlantic Treaty 
     Organization (NATO) allies by Russia or any other adversary;
       (2) assist NATO allies in acquiring and deploying modern, 
     NATO interoperable military equipment and reducing their 
     dependence on Russian or former Soviet-era defense articles;
       (3) ensure that NATO allies meet alliance defense 
     commitments, including through adequate investments in 
     national defense;
       (4) supplement existing grant assistance to key allies 
     through foreign military financing loans, at rates 
     competitive with those already available on commercial 
     markets, to purchase NATO-interoperable military equipment; 
     and
       (5) work to maintain and strengthen the democratic 
     institutions and practices of all NATO allies, in accordance 
     with the goals of Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

     SEC. 3. FOREIGN MILITARY LOAN AUTHORITY.

       (a) In General.--Beginning in fiscal year 2021, subject to 
     the notification requirements under subsection (b) and to the 
     availability of appropriations, the President, acting through 
     the Secretary of State, is authorized--
       (1) to make direct loans under section 23 of the Arms 
     Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763) to NATO member countries 
     that joined the alliance after March 1, 1999, notwithstanding 
     the minimum interest rate required by subsection (c)(1) of 
     such section; and
       (2) to charge fees for such loans under paragraph (1), 
     which shall be collected from borrowers in accordance with 
     section 502(7) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and 
     which may be used to cover the costs of such loans as defined 
     in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
       (b) Notification.--A loan may not be made under the 
     authority provided by subsection (a) unless the Secretary of 
     State submits to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     certification, not fewer than fifteen days before entering 
     into an agreement to make such loan, that--
       (1) the recipient country is making demonstrable progress 
     toward meeting its defense spending commitments in accordance 
     with the 2014 NATO Wales Summit Declaration; and
       (2) the government of such recipient country is respecting 
     that country's constitution and upholds democratic values 
     such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of 
     the press, the rule of law, and the rights of religious 
     minorities.
       (c) Repayment.--A loan made under the authority provided by 
     subsection (a) shall be repaid in not more than 12 years, but 
     may include a grace period of up to one year on the repayment 
     of the principal.
       (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 2444.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2444, the Eastern European 
Security Act.
  I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul for working on this excellent 
measure that mirrors Chairman Eliot Engel's bill, the NATO Defense 
Financing Act, in pursuit of a stronger transatlantic partnership.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States and its European allies have, 
together, built the most successful alliance in the history of the 
world. The NATO alliance is strengthened by our shared values, mutual 
trust, ability to work together, and, if necessary, to fight together.
  It is crucial that NATO is ready and able to defend against external 
threats and engage in combat. For that to happen, all of our allies 
must be able to work together seamlessly. But right now, some of our 
Eastern European allies still rely on Russian or old Soviet era 
equipment. Modernizing these military forces is a national security 
imperative.
  The Eastern European Security Act puts in place direct loans to our 
security partners so they can update their military equipment to better 
address their shifting and complex security needs. As adversaries like 
Russia continue to test our alliance's defenses and cohesion, these 
loans would be a meaningful step towards ensuring that we are ready and 
able to face evolving threats on the horizon.
  These loans will complement, not replace, our ongoing U.S. security 
assistance effort to Europe and will be conditioned upon our allies 
upholding their own constitutions and the democratic values of the 
alliance.
  The United States must not only support the militaries of our NATO 
allies, but also safeguard the continued strength of the democratic 
values upon which the alliance is built. I hope all Members will join 
me in approving this measure that better supports our European allies 
and advances the United States' national security interests.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of the Eastern European Security Act, 
introduced by the lead Republican of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. 
  Michael McCaul. This bipartisan bill supports our NATO allies and 
American jobs and is the best way to secure the NATO alliance.
  The NATO alliance is essential to our national security, but it is 
only as strong as its most vulnerable members. Some newer member 
countries with smaller economies want to purchase American military 
hardware, but such purchases are often out of reach. As a result, these 
partner nations are forced to purchase less expensive and, often, less 
reliable military equipment from other allies or even our strategic 
competitors, Russia and China. Such purchases threaten America's 
security as well as the security of the alliance.

[[Page H1547]]

  This bill would give the executive branch the flexibility it needs to 
help secure the sale of American military equipment to our NATO allies, 
which will not only promote our national security interests but, also, 
promote American jobs and bring in revenue to the treasury over the 
life of the loan.
  This legislation is long overdue, and I ask my colleagues to join me 
in supporting this very important bipartisan bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for 
the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank Congressman McCaul for his hard 
work on this measure. He has been a tireless advocate on behalf of this 
issue.
  NATO security is U.S. security, and the continued protection of every 
American is dependent upon a strong NATO alliance. Our allies 
selflessly demonstrated this commitment when they came to America's aid 
after the terrorist attack of 9/11, and it is important that the United 
States remain committed to our allies and our shared democratic values 
as well.
  This is a good measure, and I am pleased to support it. I urge all 
Members to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2444, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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