Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-21), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (NY-16), Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats Subcommittee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (NY-5), and Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53) introduced a resolution recognizing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s contributions to U.S. national security and reaffirming America’s commitment to the alliance. President Trump’s disastrous performance at the NATO Summit in Brussels and dangerous rhetoric threaten to fracture NATO as Russia continues destabilizing the West and interfering in democratic elections.

“NATO is the cornerstone of U.S. national security and our common defense,” said Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-21), Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. “Not withstanding President Trump’s recent incendiary behavior of criticizing our European friends while embracing Russia, America’s commitment to our allies and support for this enduring partnership remains unbreakable.”

“The NATO alliance has been a bedrock of security for over half a century. This transatlantic cooperation has stood strong, defending the international rule of law and democratic values,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (NY-16). “In the past few weeks, President Trump’s blustering rhetoric has unfairly castigated this alliance, downplaying the vital impact that NATO makes on U.S. security and prosperity. I thank Congresswoman Frankel for introducing this resolution, which reaffirms the importance of this security alliance and the remarkable contributions NATO allies have made to America.”

“As Ranking Member on the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee, I am proud to cosponsor this Resolution to reaffirm the value of our NATO alliance. NATO has undoubtedly been the one of the most successful alliances in history, promoting peace, security and democracy since its inception,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY-5). “Its success stands as a testament to the effectiveness of our transatlantic partnership. Unfortunately, President Trump’s statements towards our European friends and multilateral institutions have not been reflective of these facts. More than ever, we must signal to the international world that America remains closely committed to its dearest allies, regardless of what our President’s actions may indicate.”

“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is vital to the national security of the United States, as well as to our NATO allies,” said Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and member of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. “Congress needs to reaffirm the contributions NATO has made to advance U.S. security interests, including supporting U.S. troops, the counter-ISIS coalition, cyber security cooperation, and participation in U.S.-led sanctions on Iran and Russia.” 

In part, the resolution states:

“That the House of Representatives— 

(1) reaffirms the enduring commitment of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as the bedrock of transatlantic security and stability; 

(2) appreciates the many contributions that NATO member states have made to support and advance vital United States security interests; and 

(3) recognizes that continued United States leadership in NATO is essential to addressing evolving threats to national security and to fulfilling NATO’s three core tasks: collective defense, crisis management, and cooperative security.”

Full text of the resolution can be found here.

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