Emphasizing the importance of alliances and partnerships.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 222 Emphasizing the importance of alliances and partnerships. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 13, 2019 Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Ms. SLOTKIN, and Mr. WALTZ) sub- mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Emphasizing the importance of 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 its vital security, political, and eco- nomic interests, starting with the Treaty of Alliance with France in 1778 and continuing to the present day; Whereas the United States alliances and partnerships are among America’s most precious geopolitical assets, strengthening the United States military power, geostrategic influence, global legitimacy, diplomatic lever- age, and economic influence by establishing enduring co- operation among like-minded countries and deterring po- tential aggressors; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Mar 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR222.IH HR222 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 222 IH Whereas alliances and partnerships strengthen the ability of the United States to advance the universal values of de- mocracy, human rights, and the rule of law; Whereas the United States has maintained alliances since 1945 to protect its security and long-term interests and which often resulted in substantial diplomatic, political, and military support for bilateral or multilateral action that advanced United States interests, including major humanitarian missions and the use of military force; Whereas the United States has built a global network of mu- tually beneficial alliances and partnerships with countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere, which allows the United States to extend its influence, conduct military operations, and reduce the impact that adversary countries might have in these regions; Whereas, since 1945, successive generations of United States leaders have learned to successfully manage the chal- lenges and constraints inherent in alliances, thus ensur- ing that the benefits of alliances outweigh the costs; Whereas the United States was a founding member and lead- er of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a bastion of democratic allies, which continues to be the bedrock of transatlantic security and stability after nearly 70 years; Whereas allies have greatly enhanced the United States mili- tary power by contributing significant forces to many American military actions for more than 100 years, thus placing more combat power on the battlefield while reduc- ing the burden borne by the United States; VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Mar 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR222.IH HR222 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 222 IH Whereas the United States military alliances and partner- ships allow the United States to leverage allies’ special- ized capabilities, including unique technologies, warfighting skills, and specific intelligence assets; Whereas longstanding alliances have allowed the United States and its allies to implement the training, equip- ment, and interoperability standards necessary to quickly mobilize and respond to any threat across the world; Whereas the United States alliances reduce weapons of mass destruction proliferation by enabling better global co- operation against the spread of nuclear weapons and other threats; and Whereas alliances and partnerships support the United States diplomatic interests by providing the United States with the ability to leverage a multinational global response to issues through a variety of means and con- tribute to a global rules-based order: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) recognizes the many contributions that alli- 2 ances and partnerships have made to support and 3 advance the interests of the United States; 4 (2) underscores that alliances have enhanced 5 mutual security by jointly sharing in common de- 6 fense, including the defense of the United States; 7 (3) recognizes that American-led alliances and 8 partnerships played a vital role in establishing the 9 post-World War II international order, which gen- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Mar 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR222.IH HR222 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 222 IH erated unprecedented prosperity and peace around 1 the world; 2 (4) reaffirms the United States enduring com- 3 mitment to our treaty allies and partners; 4 (5) recognizes that robust alliances and part- 5 nerships require many years to develop and, if ne- 6 glected, may not be readily rebuilt in moments of 7 crisis; 8 (6) asserts that alliances and partnerships have 9 solidified beneficial international norms and agree- 10 ments that undergird the political strength of the 11 United States; 12 (7) supports the assessment in the 2018 Na- 13 tional Defense Strategy that ‘‘strong alliances and 14 partnerships’’ are necessary to help ‘‘generate deci- 15 sive and sustained United States military advan- 16 tages’’ and that the United States must focus on 17 ‘‘strengthening alliances [to] attract new partners’’; 18 and 19 (8) urges the President to reaffirm America’s 20 commitment to alliances and partnerships. 21 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:19 Mar 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR222.IH HR222 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS