[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 116 (Wednesday, June 24, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3228-S3229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1703. Mr. MENENDEZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of title XII, add the following:
Subtitle H--United States National Security Interests in Europe
SEC. 1291. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Maintaining United
States National Security Interests in Europe Act''.
SEC. 1292. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The 2017 National Security Strategy states, ``[t]he
United States will deepen collaboration with our European
allies and partners to confront forces threatening to
[[Page S3229]]
undermine our common values, security interests, and shared
vision. The United States and Europe will work together to
counter Russian subversion and aggression, and the threats
posed by North Korea and Iran. We will continue to advance
our shared principles and interests in international
forums.''.
(2) After the end of World War II, the presence of foreign
military forces in Germany was governed by a law signed in
April 1949 that allowed France, the United Kingdom, and the
United States to retain forces in Germany.
(3) The initial law was succeeded by the Convention on the
Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of
Germany, signed at Paris on October 23, 1954, allowing eight
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members,
specifically Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States,
to maintain a long-term presence of military forces in the
Federal Republic of Germany.
(4) The Federal Republic of Germany has made significant
contributions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
alliance, and by hosting the largest United States Armed
Forces presence in Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany
has borne a significant burden in the interest of collective
security.
(5) As of June 2020, the United States presence in various
locations in the Federal Republic of Germany, including in
Stuttgart at the United States European Command and the
United States Africa Command, consists of--
(A) approximately--
(i) 35,000 members of the Armed Forces;
(ii) 10,000 Department of Defense civilian employees; and
(iii) 2,000 defense contractors;
(B) personnel of the Department of State and other United
States Government agencies; and
(C) the dependents of individuals described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(6) The United States presence in Europe, including in the
Federal Republic of Germany--
(A) protects and defends the United States and United
States allies and partners by deterring conflict with the
Russian Federation and other adversaries;
(B) strengthens and supports the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization alliance and critical partnerships in Europe;
and
(C) serves as an essential support platform for carrying
out vital national security engagements in Afghanistan, the
Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
(7) The deep bilateral ties between the United States and
the Federal Republic of Germany have led to decades of
economic prosperity for both countries and their allies and
have strengthened human rights and democracy around the
world.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States should continue to maintain and
strengthen the bilateral relationship with the Federal
Republic of Germany and the relationships with other European
allies;
(2) the United States should maintain a robust military
presence in the Federal Republic of Germany so as to deter
further aggression from the Russian Federation or aggression
from other adversaries against the United States and its
allies and partners; and
(3) the United States should remain committed to strong
collaboration with European allies as outlined in the 2017
National Security Strategy.
SEC. 1293. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO WITHDRAW THE UNITED
STATES ARMED FORCES FROM EUROPE.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b),
notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds
are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, expended, or
otherwise made available to take any action--
(1) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall presence,
including the rotational presence, of United States Armed
Forces personnel and civilian employees of the Department of
Defense in Europe;
(2) to close or change the status of any base or other
facility of the United States Armed Forces located in Europe;
or
(3) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall presence of
United States Armed Forces assets in Europe.
(b) Exceptions.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall
not apply if--
(1) the host government transmits to the United States
Government a written request for such a withdrawal or other
reduction; or
(2)(A) the President declares the intent to take an action
described in subsection (a);
(B) not later 180 days before initiating an action
described in subsection (a), the President submits to the
appropriate committees of Congress notice of such intent that
includes--
(i) a justification for the action;
(ii) the number of members of the United States Armed
Forces or civilian employees of the Department of Defense to
be withdrawn or reduced, as applicable;
(iii) a description of the United States Armed Forces
assets to be withdrawn or reduced, as applicable;
(iv) a description of any base or facility of the United
States Armed Forces in Europe to be subject to closure or
change of status, as applicable;
(v) an explanation of the national security benefit of the
action to the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization; and
(vi) a plan to offset the reduction in United States and
North Atlantic Treaty Organization conventional deterrence
against Russian Federation aggression caused by the action;
and
(C) the action is expressly authorized by a joint
resolution of Congress or an Act of Congress enacted after
the date of the declaration described in subparagraph (A).
(c) Public Testimony.--Not later than 14 days after the
submittal of the notice required by subparagraph (B), the
Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall testify
before the appropriate committees of Congress in public
session on such withdrawal or reduction.
SEC. 1294. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON DECISION TO WITHDRAW THE
UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM GERMANY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the President, in consultation
with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress, a report that details
the decisionmaking process used to arrive at the decision to
withdraw members of the Armed Forces from the Federal
Republic of Germany announced on June 15, 2020.
(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall
include the following:
(1) An assessment of whether any withdrawal of or reduction
in United States Armed Forces personnel in the Federal
Republic of Germany was ordered by a Presidential directive.
(2) A description of the interagency process undertaken to
inform the decision outlined in any such Presidential
directive or other document calling for such a withdrawal or
reduction.
(3) A description of the communications with the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Government of the Federal
Republic of Germany, or other North Atlantic Treaty
Organization member countries about the potential decision to
change United States force posture in the Federal Republic of
Germany.
(4) An analysis of the United States national security
implications of the proposed withdrawal or reduction of
United States Armed Forces presence in the Federal Republic
of Germany.
SEC. 1295. APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.
In this subtitle, the term ``appropriate committees of
Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on
Armed Services, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on
Armed Services, the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives.
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