NATO Support Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 676 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JANUARY 23 (legislative day, JANUARY 22), 2019 Received AN ACT To reiterate the support of the Congress of the United States for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:39 Aug 02, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H676.RDS H676 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS 2 HR 676 RDS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘NATO Support Act’’. 2 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds that: 4 (1) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization 5 (NATO), which came into being through the North 6 Atlantic Treaty, which entered into force on April 4, 7 1949, between the United States of America and the 8 other founding members of the North Atlantic Trea- 9 ty Organization, has served as a pillar of inter- 10 national peace and stability, a critical component of 11 United States security, and a deterrent against ad- 12 versaries and external threats. 13 (2) The House of Representatives affirmed in 14 H. Res. 397, on June 27, 2017, that— 15 (A) NATO is one of the most successful 16 military alliances in history, deterring the out- 17 break of another world war, protecting the ter- 18 ritorial integrity of its members, and seeing the 19 Cold War through to a peaceful conclusion; 20 (B) NATO remains the foundation of 21 United States foreign policy to promote a Eu- 22 rope that is whole, free, and at peace; 23 (C) the United States is solemnly com- 24 mitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza- 25 tion’s principle of collective defense as enumer- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:39 Aug 02, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H676.RDS H676 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS 3 HR 676 RDS ated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty; 1 and 2 (D) the House of Representatives— 3 (i) strongly supports the decision at 4 the NATO Wales Summit in 2014 that 5 each alliance member would aim to spend 6 at least 2 percent of its nation’s gross do- 7 mestic product on defense by 2024; 8 (ii) condemns any threat to the sov- 9 ereignty, territorial integrity, freedom and 10 democracy of any NATO ally; and 11 (iii) welcomes the Republic of Monte- 12 negro as the 29th member of the NATO 13 Alliance. 14 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 15 It is the sense of Congress that— 16 (1) the President shall not withdraw the United 17 States from NATO; and 18 (2) the case Goldwater v. Carter is not control- 19 ling legal precedent with respect to the withdrawal 20 of the United States from a treaty. 21 SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 22 It is the policy of the United States— 23 (1) to remain a member in good standing of 24 NATO; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:39 Aug 02, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H676.RDS H676 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS 4 HR 676 RDS (2) to reject any efforts to withdraw the United 1 States from NATO, or to indirectly withdraw from 2 NATO by condemning or reducing contributions to 3 NATO structures, activities, or operations, in a 4 manner that creates a de facto withdrawal; 5 (3) to continue to work with NATO members to 6 meet their 2014 Wales Defense Investment Pledge 7 commitments; and 8 (4) to support robust United States funding for 9 the European Deterrence Initiative, which increases 10 the ability of the United States and its allies to 11 deter and defend against Russian aggression. 12 SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FUNDS TO WITH- 13 DRAW FROM NATO. 14 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds 15 are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended 16 to take any action to withdraw the United States from 17 the North Atlantic Treaty, done at Washington, DC on 18 April 4, 1949, between the United States of America and 19 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:39 Aug 02, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H676.RDS H676 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS 5 HR 676 RDS the other founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty 1 Organization. 2 Passed the House of Representatives January 22, 2019. Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:39 Aug 02, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H676.RDS H676 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS