[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 188 (Tuesday, October 26, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3889. Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Grassley, and Mrs. Feinstein)
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867
submitted by Mr. Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R.
4350, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2022 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:
Strike section 1236 and insert the following:
SEC. 1236. SENSE OF SENATE ON PROVISION OF SECURITY
ASSISTANCE TO BALTIC COUNTRIES.
(a) Findings.--The Senate makes the following findings:
(1) The Baltic countries are particularly vulnerable to
continued aggression from the Russian Federation, including
through increased air provocations, military build ups in the
Baltic region, disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks, and
other forms of intimidation.
(2) Since fiscal year 2018, the United States has allocated
over $498,965,000 in Department of Defense partner capacity
funding for the Baltic countries, including over $219,000,000
for the Baltic Security Initiative pursuant to sections 332
and 333 of title 10, United States Code, for security
assistance to Baltic countries with respect to--
(A) air defense;
(B) maritime situational awareness;
(C) ammunition;
(D) command, control, communications, computers,
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance;
(E) anti-tank capability;
(F) special forces; and
(G) other defense capabilities.
(3) The Secretary of Defense has completed the
comprehensive Baltic defense assessment required by section
1246 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92; 133 Stat. 1661) and has
recommended continued robust, comprehensive investment in
Baltic security efforts based on that assessment.
(b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) the security of the Baltic region is crucial to the
security of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance
and the continued provision of security assistance to the
Baltic countries is critical to ensuring deterrence against
Russian aggression and bolstering the security of North
Atlantic Treaty Organization allies; and
(2) the Senate strongly supports robust assistance to
accomplish United States strategic objectives, including by
providing assistance to the Baltic countries through the
Baltic Security Initiative.
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