[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9523]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 506--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE IN SUPPORT OF 
 THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION AND THE NATO SUMMIT TO BE HELD 
  IN WARSAW, POLAND FROM JULY 8-9, 2016, AND IN SUPPORT OF COMMITTING 
NATO TO A SECURITY POSTURE CAPABLE OF DETERRING THREATS TO THE ALLIANCE

  Mr. CORKER (for himself and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 506

       Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty, signed April 4, 1949, in 
     Washington, District of Columbia, which created the North 
     Atlantic Treaty Organization (``NATO''), proclaims: 
     ``[Members] are determined to safeguard the freedom, common 
     heritage and civilisation of their peoples, founded on the 
     principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of 
     law. They seek to promote stability and well-being in the 
     North Atlantic area. They are resolved to unite their efforts 
     for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and 
     security.'';
       Whereas NATO has been the backbone of the European security 
     architecture for 67 years, evolving to meet the changing 
     transatlantic geopolitical and security environment;
       Whereas NATO continues its mission in Afghanistan following 
     the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States;
       Whereas, at the NATO Wales Summit in September 2014, NATO 
     reaffirmed the Alliance's role in transatlantic security and 
     its ability to respond to emerging security threats and 
     challenges;
       Whereas Alliance members at the NATO Wales Summit defined 
     the new security paradigm when they stated, ``Russia's 
     aggressive actions against Ukraine have fundamentally 
     challenged our vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. 
     Growing instability in our southern neighborhood, from the 
     Middle East to North Africa, as well as transnational and 
     multi-dimensional threats, are also challenging our security. 
     These can all have long-term consequences for peace and 
     security in the Euro-Atlantic region and stability across the 
     globe.'';
       Whereas, at the 2014 NATO Wales Summit, Alliance members 
     addressed this changed security environment by committing to 
     enhancing readiness and collective defense; increasing 
     defense spending and boosting military capabilities; and 
     improving NATO support for partner countries through the 
     Defense Capacity Building Initiative;
       Whereas, although Article 14 of the Wales Declaration calls 
     on all members of the alliance to spend a minimum of 2 
     percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense 
     within a decade, currently only five members are achieving 
     that target;
       Whereas, after the 2014 Wales Summit, the Russian military 
     invaded Ukraine, adding Crimea to the list of areas illegally 
     controlled by Moscow, including Georgia's Abkhazia and South 
     Ossetia regions;
       Whereas Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine 
     continue to destabilize the region with support from the 
     Government of the Russian Federation;
       Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation continues 
     to undertake provocative, unprofessional, and dangerous 
     actions towards NATO air and naval forces and continues to 
     exercise hybrid warfare capabilities against member and 
     nonmember states along its western borders;
       Whereas Poland and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, 
     and Lithuania are on the frontlines of renewed Russian 
     aggression and hybrid warfare, including disinformation 
     campaigns, cyber threats, and snap military exercises along 
     the Alliance's eastern flank;
       Whereas President Barack Obama proposed a quadrupling of 
     the European Reassurance Initiative in fiscal year 2017 to 
     $3,400,000,000 in order to enhance the United States 
     commitment to NATO, to support Europe's defense, and to deter 
     further Russian aggression;
       Whereas the cornerstone of NATO's collective defense 
     initiative is the Readiness Action Plan, intended to enable a 
     continuous NATO military presence on the Alliance's 
     periphery, especially its easternmost states, which includes 
     enhanced troop rotations, military exercises, and the 
     establishment of a Very High Readiness Task Force;
       Whereas, in follow-up to commitments made at the NATO Wales 
     Summit, NATO and the Government of Georgia agreed on a 
     ``Substantial Package'' of cooperation and defense reform 
     initiatives to strengthen Georgia's resilience and self-
     defense capabilities and develop closer security cooperation 
     and interoperability with NATO members, including through the 
     establishment of the Joint Training and Evaluation Center, 
     which was inaugurated in 2015;
       Whereas the threat of transnational terrorism has resulted 
     in attacks in Turkey, France, Belgium, and the United States, 
     and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continues 
     to pose a real and evolving threat to member states, other 
     countries in Europe, and the broader international community;
       Whereas the migration crisis from the Syrian civil war, the 
     conflict in Afghanistan, and economic and humanitarian crises 
     in Africa have placed a great strain on member states;
       Whereas the NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland, is an 
     opportunity to enhance and more deeply entrench those 
     principles and build on our collective security, which 
     continue to bind the Alliance together and guide our efforts 
     today; and
       Whereas, on May 19, 2016, Foreign Ministers of NATO member 
     states signed an Accession Protocol to officially endorse and 
     legally move forward Montenegro's membership in the Alliance, 
     which, consistent with NATO's ``Open Door policy'', would 
     indeed further the principles of the North Atlantic Treaty 
     and contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes the service of the brave men and women who 
     have served to safeguard the freedom and security of the 
     United States and the whole of the transatlantic alliance;
       (2) encourages Alliance members at the NATO Warsaw Summit 
     to promote unity and solidarity, and to ensure a robust 
     security posture capable of deterring any potential 
     adversary, in the face of the complex and changing security 
     environment confronting the Alliance on its eastern, 
     northern, and southern fronts;
       (3) urges all NATO members to invest at least two percent 
     of GDP in defense spending and carry an equitable burden in 
     supporting the resource requirements and defense capabilities 
     of the Alliance;
       (4) reaffirms its commitment to NATO's collective security 
     as guaranteed by Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty;
       (5) recognizes Georgia's troop contributions to missions 
     abroad, its robust defense spending, and its ongoing efforts 
     to strengthen its democratic and military institutions for 
     NATO accession; and
       (6) recognizes the ongoing work of NATO's Resolute Support 
     Mission in Afghanistan, with 12,000 troops advising and 
     assisting Afghanistan's security ministries, and army and 
     police commands across the country.

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