A resolution reaffirming the importance of United States alliances and partnerships.

III 117TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 122 Reaffirming the importance of United States alliances and partnerships. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 18, 2021 Mr. RISCH (for himself and Mr. MENENDEZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations MARCH 24, 2021 Reported by Mr. MENENDEZ, with an amendment and an amendment to the preamble MAY 11, 2022 Considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended preamble RESOLUTION Reaffirming the importance of United States alliances and partnerships. Whereas, from the American Revolution, through two World Wars, the Cold War, and the fight against international terrorist organizations, the United States has successfully relied on alliances and partnerships with like-minded countries to further our vital security, political, and eco- nomic interests, starting with the Treaty of Alliance with France in 1778 and continuing to the present day; Whereas these treaty alliances provide a unique strategic ad- vantage to the United States and are among the Nation’s VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 SRES 122 ATS most precious assets, enabling the United States to ad- vance its vital national interests, defend its territory, ex- pand its economy through international trade and com- merce, establish enduring cooperation among like-minded countries, prevent the domination of Europe or the Indo- Pacific and its surrounding maritime and air lanes by a hostile power or powers, and deter potential aggressors; Whereas United States treaty alliances advance critical shared interests, including upholding regional stability and security, deterring adversaries, maintaining maritime freedom of navigation, promoting global economic pros- perity, combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, supporting international institutions and ar- chitecture, advancing democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, upholding international law, and promoting shared values and norms; Whereas the combined strength conferred by treaty alliances enables the United States and its allies to leverage a mul- tinational response to important challenges and advance joint initiatives that tackle global problems with a unity of purpose; Whereas, after the end of the Second World War, the United States Government strategically invested in building a global network of alliances and partnerships, including through the Marshall Plan in Europe and with our post- war partners in Asia, which helped these countries grow into democratic, prosperous, peaceful nations with whom the United States could effectively partner; Whereas the United States-Japan, United States-Republic of Korea, United States-Australia, United States-Phil- ippines, and United States-Thailand alliances are the foundation of regional stability in the Indo-Pacific; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 SRES 122 ATS Whereas the United States greatly values other partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region, including with India, Singa- pore, Indonesia, Taiwan, New Zealand, and Vietnam; Whereas the United States maintains an unwavering commit- ment to the defense of Japan under Article 5 of the United States-Japan security treaty, which includes the Senkaku Islands, as recently reaffirmed by President Jo- seph R. Biden; Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is one of the most important political, economic, and military alliances in the world, the cornerstone of peace, security, and pros- perity in the Indo-Pacific region, and is crucial to main- taining a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region and advancing a free and open region character- ized by a commitment to democratic governance, the free flow of commerce, and shared rules and norms; Whereas the United States-Republic of Korea alliance is the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region and is critical to closely coordinating to face the challenges posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and addressing future security challenges; Whereas the United States-Australia alliance remains an an- chor of stability in the Indo-Pacific and the world, while Australia’s 2020 Defense Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan recognize and respond to Aus- tralia’s evolving strategic threat environment, including by committing to boost its defense spending by 40 per- cent over the next decade and to bolster its high-end mili- tary capabilities, which provides further opportunities for the United States and Australia to boost cooperation on defense and strategic and emerging technologies; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 SRES 122 ATS Whereas a strong United States-Philippine alliance is vital to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) is important for the security of both na- tions, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken has re- affirmed former Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo’s March 2019 statement regarding the clear application of the MDT to armed attacks against Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, which in- cludes the South China Sea; Whereas the Philippines is of unique geostrategic importance, is a crucial partner in the areas of counterterrorism and maritime security, and plays an important role in uphold- ing regional security in the South and West Pacific, in- cluding the First and Second Island Chains, and a strong relationship between the United States military and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, solidified through agreements such as the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and the Visiting Forces Agreement, is in the national interests of both the Philippines and the United States; Whereas the United States and Thailand are increasing their defense cooperation to advance shared interests in the Indo-Pacific; Whereas the United States has an opportunity to strengthen its relationships, including defense relationships, with treaty allies and other partners in Southeast Asia, espe- cially through cooperation that enables these partners to better contend with infringements on their sovereignty, including by encouraging allies to make specific invest- ments to enhance their area denial and mobile defense- in-depth capabilities; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 SRES 122 ATS Whereas, in 1949, the United States joined with several Eu- ropean countries to conclude the North Atlantic Treaty, which formed a basis for the North Atlantic Treaty Orga- nization (NATO), in order ‘‘to safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation of their peoples, found- ed on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law’’ and to ‘‘promote stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area’’; Whereas 30 European and North American nations are mem- bers of NATO, and all signatories to the North Atlantic Treaty have ‘‘resolved to unite their efforts for collective defence and for the preservation of peace and security’’; Whereas, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the NATO alliance invoked Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty for the first and only time, reaffirming that an armed attack against one member of the alliance shall be considered an attack against all; Whereas NATO serves as a force multiplier, reducing the burden borne by the United States, has command struc- tures, training institutions, and multilateral exercises that have generated unprecedented contributions to United States national security priorities and enabled NATO soldiers to serve alongside members of the United States Armed Forces, including through NATO’s ongoing support of Operation Resolute Support in Afghanistan, NATO’s Kosovo Force, Operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean Sea, the capacity-building NATO Mission Iraq, support for African Union missions, and air polic- ing missions in member and nonmember nations of East- ern Europe, and has taken a strong stand against Rus- sian aggression in Eastern Europe; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 SRES 122 ATS Whereas, in his February 19, 2021, speech to the Munich Se- curity Conference, President Biden reaffirmed, ‘‘The transatlantic alliance is . . . the strong foundation on which our collective security and our shared prosperity are built. The partnership between Europe and the United States, in my view, is and must remain the cor- nerstone of all that we hope to accomplish in the 21st century, just as we did in the 20th century. . . . The United States is fully committed to our NATO Alliance, and I welcome Europe’s growing investment in the mili- tary capabilities that enable our shared defense.’’; Whereas previous Democratic and Republican Administra- tions alike have recognized that strong, healthy, and po- litically sustainable alliances require equitable, fair, rea- sonable, and mutually beneficial burden-sharing arrange- ments, and that the key to alliance success is a diplo- matic and security posture characterized by the effective marshaling of resources and acquisition and deployment of complementary capabilities, such as the increase in de- fense spending by all NATO nations since the Wales Dec- laration of 2014, with 11 members now spending 2 per- cent of their GDP on defense and several more on track to meet that benchmark by 2024; Whereas the United States extended nuclear deterrence com- mitments to NATO and Indo-Pacific allies are foundational to the health, strength, and effectiveness of these alliances and to continued international security and stability; Whereas maintaining robust United States diplomatic, eco- nomic, and defense budgets are critical to advancing co- operation with allies and partners on shared challenges, and deep and precipitous cuts in United States diplo- VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 SRES 122 ATS matic, economic, and defense budgets would damage the health, robustness, and effectiveness of United States al- liances; Whereas, in a sign of our shared security objectives and co- operation, our allies and partners have hosted United States military installations and welcomed members of the United States Armed Forces; Whereas citizens of our allies and partners have sacrificed their lives in support of efforts to combat terrorism and promote security in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, and have contributed significant forces to our military endeavors, placing more combat power on the battlefield, while reducing the burden borne by the United States; Whereas the United States has worked with our allies and partners to mitigate conflict and humanitarian crises around the world, and United States allies have made significant contributions to address humanitarian, food security, health, climate-related, and other pressing chal- lenges around the world; Whereas the United States and its allies face an increasingly challenging security environment in the 21st century, characterized by strategic competition with revisionist powers such as the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation, which seek to destabilize the inter- national system; Whereas this security environment demands United States and allied commitment to strengthening and advancing our alliances so that they are postured to meet these challenges, and will require sustained political will, con- crete partnerships, economic, commercial, and techno- logical cooperation, consistent and tangible commitments, VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 SRES 122 ATS high-level and extensive consultations on matters of mu- tual interest, mutual and shared cooperation in the acqui- sition of key capabilities important to allied defenses, and unified mutual support in the face of political, economic, or military coercion; Whereas, on February 4, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden stated that United States diplomacy, including with allies and partners, will be ‘‘rooted in America’s most cherished democratic values: defending freedom, championing op- portunity, upholding universal rights, respecting the rule of law, and treating every person with dignity,’’ and that United States foreign policy will ‘‘better unite our demo- cratic values with our diplomatic leadership’’; and Whereas successive generations of leaders of the United States and its allies have successfully managed the chal- lenges and constraints inherent in alliances, thus ensur- ing that the benefits of alliances outweigh the costs: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) reaffirms the enduring commitment of the 2 United States to our treaty allies in the Indo-Pacific 3 region and NATO, as well as to other partners, in- 4 cluding our treaty obligations for mutual defense; 5 (2) emphasizes the primary importance of the 6 United States relationships, alliances, and partner- 7 ships to global peace and prosperity; 8 (3) recognizes the many contributions that alli- 9 ances and partnerships have made to advance the in- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:22 May 12, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR122.ATS SR122 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 SRES 122 ATS terests of the United States and to promote shared 1 interests; 2 (4) underscores that alliances have enhanced 3 mutual security by jointly sharing in common de- 4 fense, including the defense of the United States, 5 and that strong alliances and partnerships generate 6 decisive and sustained United States military advan- 7 tages; 8 (5) encourages dealing constructively with sig- 9 nificant tensions in the United States alliance rela- 10 tionships to ensure they do not create fissures that 11 adversaries can exploit; 12 (6) welcomes and seeks to advance the contin- 13 ued collaboration of the United States and our allies 14 and partners to respect and defend the rules-based 15 international order and the values of democracy, 16 human rights, and the rule of law that undergird 17 our common security and prosperity; 18 (7) reaffirms bipartisan support for equitable 19 and mutua [Text truncated for display. 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