[Pages H6699-H6702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE SOVEREIGN DECISION OF FINLAND AND SWEDEN TO
APPLY TO JOIN THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION (NATO) AS WELL AS
CALLING ON ALL MEMBERS OF NATO TO RATIFY THE PROTOCOLS OF ACCESSION
SWIFTLY

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 1130) expressing support for the sovereign decision
of Finland and Sweden to apply to join the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) as well as calling on all members of NATO to ratify
the protocols of accession swiftly, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:

H. Res. 1130

Whereas Finland and Sweden have made a historic decision to
deepen their security ties with the transatlantic community;
Whereas a more resilient security architecture in Europe
advances democracy, human rights, and values consistent with
the North Atlantic Treaty;
Whereas, on April 4, 1949, Belgium, Canada, Denmark,
France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States formed
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, hereinafter referred
to as NATO, to serve as a defensive alliance based on
promoting democratic values and the peaceful mediation of
disputes;
Whereas NATO membership is open to ``any other European
state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty
and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic
area'';
Whereas Finland and Sweden are European states with strong
democratic foundations that share the transatlantic
community's dedication to the rule of law and the peaceful
resolution of disputes;
Whereas Finland and Sweden have been members of NATO's
Partnership for Peace program since 1994 and have contributed
to NATO-led operations in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq;
Whereas NATO established the Partnership Interoperability
Initiative at the Wales Summit in 2014 to develop military-
to-military interoperability between select partner nations
enabling them to contribute to future crisis management,
including NATO-led operations;
Whereas Finland and Sweden were designated inaugural
Enhanced Opportunities Partners at the Wales Summit in 2014;
Whereas the hard-fought post-World War II European security
architecture has been upended by the Russian Federation's
cruel full-scale invasion of Ukraine which began on February
24, 2022;
Whereas the Russian Federation's invasion has fomented the
worst European humanitarian crisis since World War II with
4,339 civilian deaths, 4.8 million Ukrainian refugees across
Europe, and 7.1 million more internally displaced within
Ukraine, according to the United States Agency for
International Development as of June 10, 2022;
Whereas Finland and Sweden's populations expressed support
for NATO membership;

[[Page H6700]]

Whereas Finland and Sweden's highly capable militaries are
interoperable with NATO forces and would increase and fortify
NATO's collective security by increasing the security and
stability of the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe;
Whereas officials of the Russian Federation issued threats
directed at Finland and Sweden prior to their decision to
exercise their sovereign right to apply for NATO membership;
Whereas despite these threats from the Russian Federation,
Finland and Sweden's national institutions have reviewed
their policies of military nonalignment and their governments
and parliaments have expressed support for applying for NATO
membership; and
Whereas in the best interests of their respective peoples,
the European security architecture, the rule of international
law, and democracy in Europe, Finland and Sweden have
announced their support for NATO membership: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support for Finland and Sweden's sovereign
and historic decision to apply to the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO);
(2) recognizes that Finland and Sweden's sovereign and
historic decision to apply to NATO is reflective of the will
of those respective governments' peoples;
(3) urges all members of NATO to meet the two-percent
defense spending pledge as agreed upon during the 2014 Wales
Summit;
(4) opposes any attempt by the Russian Federation to act in
an adverse way in response to Finland and Sweden's sovereign
and historic decision to apply to join NATO;
(5) recognizes that the accession of Finland and Sweden to
NATO requires all 30 Allies to sign and ratify protocols of
accession; and
(6) calls on the member states of NATO to formally support
the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Costa) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.

General Leave

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H. Res. 1130, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Chairman Keating's resolution
expressing support for the sovereign decision of Finland and Sweden to
apply for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also known as NATO,
and calling on all members of NATO to swiftly ratify the protocols of
accession.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February of this year, the
world has changed. The world has watched as Vladimir Putin ordered his
military to march through Ukraine, brutally attacking civilians and
civilian infrastructure, making it exceptionally clear that his
senseless imperial aspirations go far beyond the Donbas and even
Ukraine in its entirety. As a matter of fact, he has stated such.
In response, our transatlantic allies and partners have had to
completely rethink, as is clear, our security postures, tighten our
ranks, and counter global challenges.
In response to the Russian Federation's unthinkable aggression in
Ukraine, Sweden and Finland, both long-term security partners of the
United States and NATO as a whole, have made the sovereign decision to
apply for NATO membership. This did not come about easily or
automatically.
Both Chairman Keating and I believe Finland and Sweden's accession to
NATO presents a strong, unified message against Putin's aggression in
Ukraine, and this would support peace and the values that we all adhere
to in the NATO alliance. Finland and Sweden's militaries, already
equipped with modern technology and weapons, some of which have already
been delivered to Ukraine, are fully interoperable with NATO systems,
which makes them a good fit.
Additionally, NATO's land border with Russia will now include
significantly more territory, thereby acting as a greater deterrence to
Russian threats and aggression. Their accession will also bolster
NATO's capabilities in the Baltic Sea region, building on the
capabilities of our Baltic partners, as well as Poland, who have each
been steadfast in their commitments to countering Russian aggression
and responding to this grave humanitarian crisis that is Russia's
responsibility and Russia's responsibility solely on their part.
For this decision, as Finnish President Niinisto has rightly said,
when Vladimir Putin looks in the mirror, he has only himself to blame.
Putin's entire warfighting efforts--the bombings, the airstrikes, the
ground movements--have been counterproductive. Instead, Putin and the
military of the Russian Federation, as I and many others have said,
have committed war crimes, forced Ukrainians from their homes into
filtration camps and deported them to far-away Russian territories, and
singlehandedly instigated the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe
since World War II.
Despite his goals of dividing the transatlantic alliance, Putin has
instead united us more resolutely than ever before against his attempt
to spread hate and violence across the globe and to create more
division. Clearly, that has been his goal, and it has been his goal for
years. In addition, individuals from around Europe, most notably
Central Europe, have welcomed those fleeing violence in Ukraine in
their own homes in Poland, Romania, and many other European countries.
It is really an incredible humanitarian effort that these central
European countries have engaged in, and it has been heartening for the
entire world to see.
Bearing the events of the last few months in mind, this resolution
expresses support for Finland and Sweden's monumental decision to apply
for NATO membership. Furthermore, this resolution echoes the leadership
role that Congress and this administration have taken in uniting the
transatlantic alliance and the world in support of Ukraine.
This did not happen overnight. President Biden last year began
working closely with our NATO allies, sharing intelligence, working
together to build on that alliance, including more recently Congress
providing over $50 billion in support for Ukraine's warfighting effort
and the immense humanitarian crisis that has resulted. These funds have
been crucial in ensuring that Ukraine can continue their fight, and it
has provided leadership for our other European allies to do the same.
This is a fight for democracy, a fight for freedom, and it is a fight
that Ukrainians must win. This is the test of our time, and President
Zelenskyy has stood up, reminding all of us that the price of freedom
is not free, and those brave Ukrainian people, how much they have done
to show the entire world that they stand for their sovereignty.
However, this resolution would not have been possible without the
bipartisan support of many of my colleagues, who have long supported
the NATO alliance, like Congressman Turner and so many others. This
includes the lead on this resolution, Chairman Keating, as well as the
lead original cosponsors on this resolution, House Foreign Affairs
Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, and Cyber, Ranking
Member Brian Fitzpatrick, as well as Representatives Eric Swalwell and
Ann Wagner, and Representatives Connolly and Turner of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly.
In addition, I thank all of the chairs of the House Finland and
Sweden Caucuses for signing on as original cosponsors of this
legislation.
Finally, I also specifically thank Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member
McCaul of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who have been united in
these efforts over the recent months.
I also express my gratitude to Leader Hoyer and Chairman Meeks for
allowing this resolution to move to the floor so expeditiously.
Through this resolution, the House will loudly and clearly welcome
Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance, a clear sign of
transatlantic unity in response to Vladimir Putin's brutal ambition.
I was in Brussels in February, 2 days before the invasion, and I have
never seen NATO as united perhaps since the Cold War.
The fact is that we have a strong history, and we have the
opportunity to be bolstered by the strength of their military alliance
as well as the democratic resolve of their governments.

[[Page H6701]]

So in the spirit of unity and recognition of Finland and Sweden as
long-term friends of the United States, I strongly urge my colleagues
to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank Representative Costa, who I am very proud to serve with on
the board of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. We look forward to
recognizing and accepting a full delegation to the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly from both Finland and Sweden.
Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked war of aggression against
Ukraine and the inhumane assault on innocent civilians, thinking that
he would be able to divide the NATO alliance. He was mistaken.
Instead, Finland and Sweden responded by dropping their policies of
military neutrality and applying for NATO membership.
As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg put it, Vladimir Putin
wanted less NATO, and now he is getting more NATO on his borders.
Finland and Sweden will both be significant security providers for
NATO.
This bipartisan resolution supports ratifying the accession of Sweden
and Finland to NATO.
Having served as the president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I
understand the fundamental role this organization plays in defending
democracies and supporting freedom.
Finland and Sweden's strategic location in northern Europe, advanced
militaries, and decades of fighting alongside the U.S. and NATO mean
that their accession will immediately strengthen transatlantic
security. Finland and Sweden have well-trained armed forces,
sophisticated modern weapons systems, and have committed to allocating
2 percent of their gross domestic product to defense spending.
Both militaries are highly interoperable with NATO forces, having
participated in numerous NATO-led operations from Afghanistan, Iraq,
Bosnia and Herzegovina to Kosovo. Meanwhile, Finland has finalized its
purchase of F-35 fighter jets from the U.S. in a $12 billion deal.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this
resolution, which calls on all members of NATO to ratify Sweden and
Finland's protocols of accession swiftly.
Finally, for the alliance to be credible, every nation must do its
fair share. The resolution also urges members of NATO to meet their 2
percent defense spending pledge. President Trump successfully pushed
our NATO allies to spend more on defense. Putin's invasion has been
another motivation to convince our allies who had not been living up to
their military commitments to NATO to increase their defense spending
and make concrete plans to reach the 2 percent requirement.
A strong, united NATO is in the United States' interest. With Sweden
and Finland as members, the balance of power in Europe will be tipped
against Putin.
Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of
my time.

{time} 1530

Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader of the House of
Representatives.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Mr. Costa, for yielding
this time. I thank my friend and the ranking member, Mr. Turner, for
his role in bringing this to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, as has been said over and over again, Vladimir Putin
made a terrible strategic and tragic miscalculation by illegally
invading the sovereign and democratic nation of Ukraine. His false
justification for that invasion was the supposed threat posed by NATO
expansion. His other false claim was that Russian Ukrainians were being
terrorized and threatened. Neither of those allegations was true.
Now, his actions have led directly, as Mr. Turner just pointed out,
and as Mr. Costa pointed out, to the opposite of what he intended. That
is, we are going to be adding two extraordinary members of the European
community, two countries that have shared our values, our democratic
values, our nation of laws values, and our humanitarian values with us
for literally over half a century.
Together, Finland and Sweden will add substantial capabilities to
NATO's collective defense and make the Baltic region much more secure
against Russian aggression. But much more than that, they will add
value, because of their values, to our alliance.
Mr. Speaker, I was in Denmark in April, meeting with senior
officials. I can attest that the addition of Finland and Sweden to the
NATO family will create a Scandinavian bloc--Denmark, Norway, Sweden,
and Finland--within NATO that will be more than the sum of its parts,
significantly contributing to the peace and stability of Europe and to
the security of all NATO nations, including the United States.
As I have said before, we must ensure that Putin's invasion will
result in a strategic defeat for Russia. I pause, Mr. Speaker, to
emphasize that point. Vladimir Putin must not win this war, not only
for the sake of the Ukrainians and their extraordinary bravery, and the
bravery and the leadership of Mr. Zelenskyy, their President, but
because the free world needs to send a very strong, clear, and
unmistakable message that tyranny will not prevail. We must send a
message to dictators around the world that this action is unacceptable
and will be opposed until victory by the free world.
We must defend the hard-won principle in international laws and norms
that a nation cannot simply invade and seek to conquer territory from a
neighbor by force. That was accepted for centuries, indeed, millennia,
but it is not acceptable today in a world of nuclear weapons, in a
world that has a United Nations that stands for the principle that no
nation can by force take the land of another nation.
I thank Representative Keating for his leadership on this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I hope we can all come together, Democrats and
Republicans, as I think we will, in a resounding, unanimous vote to
show our support not only for Ukraine, which we have demonstrated over
and over again by votes of this House, but also for our new NATO
allies, the people of Finland and Sweden.
I thank the Prime Minister of Sweden, Magdalena Andersson, and the
Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, for their leadership in taking
what is in many respects a courageous stand.
The Finns, of course, have a very long border with Russia. They
believe, correctly, in my view, that their security is contingent, and
that is why they are joining NATO.
As we have reiterated time and time again, this House is committed to
honoring Article 5 of the NATO Charter.
Mr. Speaker, this is a good resolution that will stand us in good
stead as a nation and as a global community.
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for
closing.
I thank Representative Keating and Representative Costa for their
work on this resolution. I also thank Majority Leader Hoyer for his
comments in support of NATO and in support of Ukraine. Certainly, the
crisis that is occurring there is an impetus, I think, for our moving
quickly and in support of this resolution.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the accession
protocols for these two countries in the next week. This vote is an
opportunity for the House of Representatives to demonstrate their
support for Finland's and Sweden's NATO membership. This support should
be overwhelming.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join in supporting this
resolution. In the face of Vladimir Putin's aggression, it is critical
that the United States Congress speak with one voice on strengthening
NATO.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the
purpose of closing.
I thank Ranking Member Turner for his leadership and for his support
of our common alliance and our defense in these critical and dangerous
times that we are living in.
I want to reflect on why I think this resolution is so important, and
it is an inflection point that Chairman Keating and so many of us feel
with regard to global history. As I said, this is a test of our time as
to whether or not

[[Page H6702]]

democracies will be willing to stand together for the common values we
share, for the rule of law, for a rules-based economy, and for all the
freedoms we cherish that we share in common.
Simply stated, this is a choice about good and evil. For the first
time in eight decades, we have seen a full-scale land invasion in
Europe instigated, resulting in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Think about this. The alliances that we have created post-World War
II, beginning with the Marshall Plan and then NATO and the European
Union, and everything that has followed since that, have resulted in
one of the largest peacetime periods in Europe in over 1,000 years.
Think about that.
What we have also, obviously, learned the hard way is that these
unconscionable crimes committed against the Ukrainian people, I think,
constitute a form of genocide.
I said in a speech several months ago that, in my view, after Bucha,
President Putin should be considered a war criminal along with all who
have been involved in these horrific crimes that we have seen committed
and see daily--hospitals, schools, apartment buildings, innocent
children, and citizens being attacked.
The brave men and women of Ukraine and their leadership, President
Zelenskyy, have reminded us once again that we who share the common
values of democracies must stand together.
We are at the front lines in this fight for freedom, and Ukraine
today is sadly paying the heavy price. But they have demonstrated an
importance to all of us of unity in the face of Putin's catastrophic
and violent attack. They have demonstrated why our support matters, and
it does. Crucially, they have proven that without a doubt, as was said
by my colleague and friend, Congressman Hoyer, democratic values will
prevail over an authoritarian ideology. That is why we must ensure that
Putin fails in his war of aggression.
Finland's and Sweden's historic and sovereign decisions to apply for
NATO membership create an echo of transatlantic unity on this issue,
and this resolution represents strong bipartisan support here in
Congress for Ukraine.
I thank my colleagues on the other side. Chairman Keating leads this
NATO resolution in response to the alliance, our transatlantic
alliance, which has stood up to the aggression of Russia in the face of
unprecedented, unprovoked aggression, and we have come together to do
the right thing.
To my colleagues in the Senate, who will be taking up these articles
of accession shortly, I urge you to demonstrate full support for
Finland and Sweden to join the NATO alliance.
As to my colleagues in this Chamber, I urge your support, as well,
for this resolution so that the United States Government can speak with
one voice, one voice in the resolute support of our Nordic allies and
unwavering support for Ukraine's fight for freedom and their democracy.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Costa) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1130, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.

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