[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 202 (Thursday, December 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5853-S5854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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      SENATE RESOLUTION 491--COMMENDING THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY 
  ORGANIZATION'S ADOPTION OF REGIONAL PLANS AND ENCOURAGING ALLIES TO 
                            ALIGN RESOURCES

  Mrs. SHAHEEN (for herself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Coons, Mr. 
King, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Rounds, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Ricketts, 
and Mr. Booker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 491

       Whereas the 31-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
     (NATO) is the world's preeminent military alliance, 
     accounting for more than half of global defense expenditure 
     and deploying the world's most advanced military 
     capabilities;
       Whereas, at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, NATO allies 
     adopted the Wales Defense Investment Pledge, agreeing to halt 
     any decline in defense expenditure and move toward committing 
     a minimum of 2 percent of their GDP on annual defense 
     spending and allocating at least 20 percent of defense 
     budgets on major equipment, including related research and 
     development, within a decade;
       Whereas, following the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, defense 
     spending within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has 
     increased for nine consecutive years, resulting in additional 
     defense expenditures of approximately $450,000,000,000 in 
     real terms since 2014;
       Whereas, while three members of NATO met the 2 percent of 
     GDP defense spending target in 2014, NATO reports that as of 
     July 2023, 11 allies met the 2 percent target, and all 31 
     allies met the goal to allocate at least 20 percent of 
     defense expenditure to major new equipment;
       Whereas 19 NATO allies have a plan to meet or exceed NATO's 
     2 percent of GDP defense spending target by 2024, and an 
     additional seven members reportedly have plans in place to 
     meet the target between 2025 and 2030;
       Whereas, at the 2023 NATO Summit in Vilnius, allies 
     unanimously adopted new regional defense plans and force 
     structure requirements, which NATO military authorities 
     characterize as the Alliance's most comprehensive since the 
     end of the Cold War;
       Whereas NATO allies, in order to resource those plans and 
     requirements, reaffirmed the commitment to invest at least 2 
     percent of GDP annually on defense, affirming that in many 
     cases, expenditure beyond 2 percent of GDP will be needed in 
     order to remedy existing shortfalls and meet requirements 
     across all domains;
       Whereas allies have committed to further enhance NATO's 
     defense and deterrence posture by aligning defense spending 
     increases with NATO's new defense plans and force structure 
     requirements;
       Whereas NATO allies have made these additional 
     contributions to collective security despite sharp inflation 
     and record-high energy costs;
       Whereas European countries have taken in over 4,000,000 
     Ukrainian refugees as a direct result of the Russian 
     Federation's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the 
     European Union has designated $18,000,000,000 in support for 
     refugees, and European NATO members collectively have 
     additionally allocated $4,600,000,000 to support refugees;

[[Page S5854]]

       Whereas NATO's defense posture and military capabilities 
     were enhanced with the April 2023 accession of Finland, which 
     exceeds 2 percent of GDP defense spending and possesses one 
     of Europe's largest and most capable armed forces; and
       Whereas the ratification of Sweden as the newest member of 
     the NATO alliance would add critical air and maritime 
     capabilities to the collective security of Europe and North 
     America, bring almost the entire Baltic coastline into the 
     alliance, and expand the alliance's expertise in the Arctic 
     and undersea environments: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) supports the implementation of regional defense plans 
     adopted at the 2023 Vilnius Summit to align forces and 
     resources with NATO's Strategic Concept adopted at the 2022 
     Madrid Summit;
       (2) urges swift implementation and resourcing of these 
     plans in support of the collective defense of Europe and 
     encourages NATO allies to align defense spending and resource 
     allocation in accordance with these plans;
       (3) supports the commitment of NATO for members to meet or 
     exceed 2 percent gross domestic product defense spending in 
     support of collective defense of Europe and North America;
       (4) commends those allies that have reached the 2 percent 
     gross domestic product defense spending and encourages all 
     members of NATO to maintain progress to meet this commitment;
       (5) recommends the next Secretary General of NATO be 
     selected from a member country that has met, or has a robust 
     plan to meet, the 2 percent defense spending commitment;
       (6) commends NATO allies for harboring and caring for 
     millions of refugees fleeing Russian President Putin's 
     aggression;
       (7) welcomes Finland's accession to the NATO alliance; and
       (8) urges Turkiye and Hungary to swiftly ratify Sweden as a 
     full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

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