00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
00:01As I have done for each of the past five years, this is the sixth year in a row, I rise to
00:07speak in support of my amendment which would prohibit funds for any project or activity
00:11related to NATO until the Secretary of Defense certifies to congressional defense committees
00:16that each member of NATO has spent 2 percent of their respective GDP on defense expenditures.
00:23In 2006, NATO members agreed to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product
00:28on defense spending to ensure the readiness of the alliance.
00:32By 2014, just three members had reached the agreed-upon 2 percent funding level.
00:37And under a new 2014 agreement, each member country has until 2024 to reach their 2 percent
00:43goal.
00:45Unfortunately, as of 2023, just 11 of the 32 countries, including the United States,
00:51contributed at least 2 percent of GDP on defense.
00:55This has to change.
00:57In 2023, Italy was projected to spend just 1.46 percent of its GDP on defense.
01:03And their defense minister stated that they will certainly not meet NATO's target in 2024
01:08and will likely not meet NATO's target by 2028.
01:13Mr. Chairman, I will continue my argument.
01:16I will reserve.
01:17Chairman of the Reserve, the gentleman from Washington is recognized.
01:21I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment.
01:23The gentleman who rides in opposition is recognized for five minutes.
01:26I yield one minute to the gentleman, the chairman of the committee, Mr. Rogers from Alabama.
01:32I thank the gentleman.
01:33I strongly support requiring all of our NATO allies to meet their 2 percent obligation.
01:39But arbitrarily cutting off funding to NATO with a war raging in Eastern Europe and Putin
01:44threatening us with nuclear weapons is absolutely the wrong thing to do.
01:50It also shoots us in the foot.
01:52Our force posture in Europe is dependent on the investments we make to NATO.
01:57We need a stronger NATO for our own defense.
02:00I urge all members to oppose this amendment and I yield back.
02:04Chairman yields back.
02:05Chairman of the Reserve, the gentleman from Arizona is recognized.
02:08Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
02:10In 2023, Germany stepped back from its commitment to meeting NATO's target of spending 2 percent
02:15going back on its 2022 commitment to invest more than 2 percent of the GDP into defense
02:19year after year.
02:21In 2024, that number is expected to grow and about two-thirds of NATO member countries
02:26are expected to at least meet the 2 percent target.
02:28That would be great.
02:29Much of the growth that we've seen recently was due in large part to President Trump's
02:32push to our NATO allies to increase spending to meet the 2 percent standard.
02:37However, more work must be done to ensure NATO allies are paying their fair share.
02:41The U.S. continues to spend far more than its fair share and takes on the overwhelming
02:45responsibility of being the world's police.
02:47Reserve.
02:49The gentleman from Washington is recognized.
02:52Thank you, Mr. Chair.
02:53I'm now pleased to yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Virginia, Ms. McClellan.
02:57The gentleman is recognized.
02:58Thank you, Mr. Chair.
03:00Eighty years ago, after the invasion of D-Day, we witnessed the beginning of the end of the
03:07Hitler regime.
03:08In the wake of World War II and its devastation, NATO was created in an effort to deter then-Soviet
03:17expansionism, forbid the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe through a strong North
03:22American presence on the continent, and encourage European political integration.
03:28Given what is happening right now with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, now is not the
03:36time to say we are going to turn our back on or abandon NATO.
03:41We need to strengthen and recommit to our alliance.
03:44I yield back.
03:46The gentleman yields back.
03:47The gentleman reserves.
03:48The gentleman from Arizona is recognized.
03:50Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
03:51So we hear about Ukraine, and we hear about NATO.
03:56We haven't even discussed China and other areas around the world that we have that are
04:03concerns.
04:04What is our number one threat?
04:05What is our number one threat?
04:07A whole series for 20 years, we've been told it is our national debt.
04:12That's bipartisan leaders of military, of the Department of Defense.
04:18And so why do we end up carrying free riders?
04:25Why do we lead the way on everything?
04:27Because we're America.
04:29But let me tell you something.
04:31That can't endure.
04:33Why did the USSR go away?
04:35The USSR went away not because there was a coup or an uprising.
04:39It was a business enterprise that had to declare bankruptcy.
04:44That's why the USSR failed ultimately.
04:47And at $35 trillion in national debt, we have that danger as well.
04:52And we cannot afford to carry free riders indefinitely.
04:56I reserve.
04:57The gentleman reserves.
04:58The gentleman from Washington is recognized.
05:02Thank you, Mr. Chair.
05:03I now yield a minute and a half to the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Turner.
05:07The gentleman from Ohio is recognized.
05:09Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
05:11I too want to thank Mr. Biggs for bringing this amendment to the floor.
05:16It is incredibly important that we have this debate.
05:18It's important because our European allies need to be listening to it.
05:23However, this amendment is misguided in its effect.
05:26And it's misguided because this is the National Defense Authorization Act.
05:30Any amendment to restrict our options and our operations is to our detriment.
05:36Now, the 2% target was advocated by the United States at the Wales NATO Summit in 2014.
05:46At that time, only three countries met the requirement.
05:51This year, in 2024, 22 nations will be meeting the target.
05:55And two nations that just joined us in entering NATO, Finland and Sweden, came in already
06:01meeting that target.
06:02Now, I serve as the head of the U.S. delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and had
06:06an opportunity as past president to address the Warsaw Summit in NATO in 2016.
06:11And I made the exact point that Mr. Biggs is making.
06:14Europe must step up to the plate and hit its 2%.
06:17But we should not restrict our ability to have our operations with NATO.
06:24Currently, the Supreme Allied Commander is American.
06:27NATO doesn't do anything without the Americans leading.
06:31If there's a military exercise, it's the NATO U.S. commander who has decided that that operation
06:36will occur.
06:37To restrict our ability to operate under NATO is misguided, would affect our national defense.
06:44It would affect NATO intelligence operations and also all of our interoperability.
06:49Vote no on this amendment.
06:51Gentleman, time expired.
06:53Gentleman from Arizona is recognized.
06:56Gentleman Reserves.
06:57Gentleman from Washington is recognized.
06:58Thank you, Mr. Chair.
07:00I now yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania, Ms. Houlihan.
07:05Gentlewoman from Pennsylvania is recognized.
07:09Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak.
07:11And I rise in fervent opposition to this amendment.
07:14Just literally days after 100 of our colleagues returned from the beaches of Normandy, we're
07:18standing here debating the very purpose and existence of the alliance that made sure that
07:23we had the opportunity to observe the 80th anniversary.
07:27But perhaps more importantly, that observation was to remember the power of alliances and
07:31the consequences of our inaction and of our isolationism.
07:35Mr. Speaker, this amendment is unserious.
07:38This will not be passed, nor will it likely be signed into law, because it would catastrophically
07:43undermine and ruin our nation's leadership on the world stage.
07:47Rather than spend our time on amendments that will weaken our national and global security,
07:51we must rather focus on improving NATO relationships, the very same relationships, by the way, that
07:56are helping us put Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine to bed.
07:59I urge my colleagues forcefully to oppose this amendment, and I yield back.
08:04Gentleman yields back.
08:06Gentleman Reserves.
08:07Gentleman from Arizona is recognized.
08:08Gentleman Reserves.
08:09Gentleman from Washington.
08:10I believe we have the right to close, and I have one speaker remaining.
08:13Gentleman is correct.
08:15So we reserve for the moment.
08:17Gentleman from Arizona.
08:18Very good.
08:19Thank you.
08:20So, if you want to strengthen NATO, and you want to stop free-riding, maybe you use leverage.
08:27Maybe use leverage.
08:29If you want to strengthen our country, maybe use the leverage to get your partners, who
08:35are supposed to be your partners, to start paying their share.
08:40The only reason that this is even improving is because the previous administration made
08:45that a big issue and made that demand.
08:51We should make that demand still.
08:55I reiterate the number one security threat that a long line of DOD officials have said
09:03is our national debt.
09:06At some point, you simply can't keep funding the military operations you want to fund.
09:14And if your partners aren't willing to pay their share, you don't strengthen them.
09:21You weaken us.
09:23That's what this amendment is designed to do.
09:25It doesn't prevent us from putting forward our operations anywhere, but it does encourage
09:31and leverage our partners to actually pay their fair share.
09:36I urge everyone to support this.
09:37I'll yield.
09:38The gentleman yields.
09:39The gentleman from Washington is recognized.
09:41Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
09:42I yield one minute to the gentleman from California, Ms. Kam Lagerdove.
09:47The gentleman from California is recognized.
09:49Thank you, Mr. Chair.
09:50I echo opposition to this amendment.
09:52As a member of the Transatlantic Legislators Dialogue and the Foreign Affairs Committee,
09:57I consistently encourage and push our NATO allies to get to the 2% goal on defense spending.
10:04It should be the floor.
10:06Nevertheless, this amendment looks to gut our support for NATO immediately and goes
10:10against what we, the United States, stands for.
10:13Just last week, we cut sessions short so that Democrats and Republicans could go to France
10:18to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
10:20Planes, trains, and automobiles were used to get there.
10:24Why?
10:25Because D-Day is antithetical to isolationism and is a lasting example of a successful,
10:30important partnership with a core, key member of NATO.
10:34No victories happen without help.
10:36This amendment calls for an isolationist approach at a time when we need our friends more than
10:42ever.
10:43Many NATO countries are over the 2% and many recognize the need to contribute more.
10:48This amendment gives Moscow what it wants, it gives China what it wants, and it gives
10:52the isolationist strain in the United States what it wants.
10:55History continues to show us that this approach does not work, it will not keep us safe, and
11:01it will not keep us free.
11:02I yield back.
11:03The gentleman yields back.
11:04Gentleman from Washington.
11:05I'm done.
11:06There's 30 seconds remaining.
11:07Ah.
11:08I didn't realize that.
11:09Sorry.
11:10Thank you.
11:11I think that was an excellent close.
11:16I will just urge opposition to this amendment for all the reasons that were stated by the
11:19previous speaker, and I will yield back.
11:22Thank you.
11:23The gentleman yields back.
Comments