[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7234 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7234
To strengthen the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and
the Republic of Korea, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2020
Mr. Bera introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To strengthen the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and
the Republic of Korea, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``We Go Together Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) with respect to the alliance between the United States
and the Republic of Korea--
(A) ``we go together'' or ``katchi kapshida'' is an
enduring motto inspired by the shared sacrifice of the
United States and the Republic of Korea during the
Korean War, reinforced by our shared values and
reaffirmed each time the Republic of Korea has stood
alongside the United States in the four major wars the
United States has fought outside Korea since 1945;
(B) a transactional view of the alliance between
the United States and the Republic of Korea is contrary
to the spirit of ``we go together'';
(C) 70 years since the start of the Korean War, as
the People's Republic of China escalates its aggressive
behavior in maritime and air domains and the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea continues to enhance and
test weapons that threaten regional peace and security,
a new strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region
has reinforced the importance of the alliance between
the United States and the Republic of Korea;
(D) the 2018 National Defense Strategy states that
``the willingness of rivals to abandon aggression will
depend on their perception of . . . the vitality of our
alliances and partnerships'', and thus United States
Government actions and public statements that undermine
the United States relationship with the Republic of
Korea harm United States national security and
exacerbate risks to members of the Armed Forces and
United States allies and partners; and
(E) United States alliances and troop deployments
should be based on shared principles and goals, not on
the profit motive; and
(2) with respect to nationals of the Republic of Korea who
are employees of United States Forces Korea--
(A) the United States Government should endeavor to
avoid actions that negatively affect the welfare or
well-being of such individuals;
(B) as stated by the Commander of United States
Forces Korea on March 31, 2020, the partial furlough of
such individuals was ``heartbreaking'' and ``in no way
a reflection of their performance, dedication, or
conduct''; and
(C) the United States Government should work with
the Government of the Republic of Korea to ensure that
such individuals do not bear the burden of breakdowns
in negotiations regarding defense cost-sharing.
SEC. 3. STRENGTHENING THE MUTUAL DEFENSE TREATY.
(a) In General.--The President may not take any action to change
United States policy with respect to the Mutual Defense Treaty between
the United States and Republic of Korea signed on October 1, 1953,
unless, not later than 120 days before the President takes such an
action, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress--
(1) a detailed justification for such a change; and
(2) a certification that--
(A) such a change is in the national interest of
the United States; and
(B) an alternative diplomatic agreement or measure
has been devised to replace any lost capacity or
benefits resulting from such a change, including--
(i) the benefits to United States national
security and regional security derived from the
presence of the United States Armed Forces in
the Republic of Korea;
(ii) the nuclear nonproliferation benefits
derived from extended deterrence enhanced by
the stationing of members of the United States
Armed Forces in the Republic of Korea;
(iii) the contributions of the Republic of
Korea in--
(I) countering illegitimate
coercion and debt diplomacy;
(II) promoting human rights;
(III) promoting freedom of
navigation and maritime security;
(IV) protecting the environment;
(V) improving global health; and
(VI) assisting the victims of
conflict and disaster;
(iv) the cooperation of the Republic of
Korea with respect to United States efforts to
enforce existing United Nations Security
Council sanctions with respect to the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea;
(v) the diplomatic support of the Republic
of Korea for negotiations to implement the
commitments of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea at the 2018 Singapore Summit; and
(vi) the value of United States trade with
the Republic of Korea.
(b) Form.--The justification and certification required by
subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include
a classified annex.
(c) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this section,
the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(1) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
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