March 9, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 45 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session
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EASTERN EUROPEAN SECURITY ACT; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 45
(House of Representatives - March 09, 2020)
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[Pages H1546-H1547] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] EASTERN EUROPEAN SECURITY ACT Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2444) to authorize the Secretary of State to make direct loans under section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2444 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 ``Eastern European Security Act''. SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. It is the sense of Congress that it is in the national security interest of the United States to-- (1) deter aggression against North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies by Russia or any other adversary; (2) assist NATO allies in acquiring and deploying modern, NATO interoperable military equipment and reducing their dependence on Russian or former Soviet-era defense articles; (3) ensure that NATO allies meet alliance defense commitments, including through adequate investments in national defense; (4) supplement existing grant assistance to key allies through foreign military financing loans, at rates competitive with those already available on commercial markets, to purchase NATO-interoperable military equipment; and (5) work to maintain and strengthen the democratic institutions and practices of all NATO allies, in accordance with the goals of Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty. SEC. 3. FOREIGN MILITARY LOAN AUTHORITY. (a) In General.--Beginning in fiscal year 2021, subject to the notification requirements under subsection (b) and to the availability of appropriations, the President, acting through the Secretary of State, is authorized-- (1) to make direct loans under section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763) to NATO member countries that joined the alliance after March 1, 1999, notwithstanding the minimum interest rate required by subsection (c)(1) of such section; and (2) to charge fees for such loans under paragraph (1), which shall be collected from borrowers in accordance with section 502(7) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, and which may be used to cover the costs of such loans as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. (b) Notification.--A loan may not be made under the authority provided by subsection (a) unless the Secretary of State submits to the appropriate congressional committees a certification, not fewer than fifteen days before entering into an agreement to make such loan, that-- (1) the recipient country is making demonstrable progress toward meeting its defense spending commitments in accordance with the 2014 NATO Wales Summit Declaration; and (2) the government of such recipient country is respecting that country's constitution and upholds democratic values such as freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the rule of law, and the rights of religious minorities. (c) Repayment.--A loan made under the authority provided by subsection (a) shall be repaid in not more than 12 years, but may include a grace period of up to one year on the repayment of the principal. (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means-- (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey. General Leave Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2444. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New Jersey? There was no objection. Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2444, the Eastern European Security Act. I want to thank Ranking Member McCaul for working on this excellent measure that mirrors Chairman Eliot Engel's bill, the NATO Defense Financing Act, in pursuit of a stronger transatlantic partnership. Mr. Speaker, the United States and its European allies have, together, built the most successful alliance in the history of the world. The NATO alliance is strengthened by our shared values, mutual trust, ability to work together, and, if necessary, to fight together. It is crucial that NATO is ready and able to defend against external threats and engage in combat. For that to happen, all of our allies must be able to work together seamlessly. But right now, some of our Eastern European allies still rely on Russian or old Soviet era equipment. Modernizing these military forces is a national security imperative. The Eastern European Security Act puts in place direct loans to our security partners so they can update their military equipment to better address their shifting and complex security needs. As adversaries like Russia continue to test our alliance's defenses and cohesion, these loans would be a meaningful step towards ensuring that we are ready and able to face evolving threats on the horizon. These loans will complement, not replace, our ongoing U.S. security assistance effort to Europe and will be conditioned upon our allies upholding their own constitutions and the democratic values of the alliance. The United States must not only support the militaries of our NATO allies, but also safeguard the continued strength of the democratic values upon which the alliance is built. I hope all Members will join me in approving this measure that better supports our European allies and advances the United States' national security interests. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the Eastern European Security Act, introduced by the lead Republican of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Michael McCaul. This bipartisan bill supports our NATO allies and American jobs and is the best way to secure the NATO alliance. The NATO alliance is essential to our national security, but it is only as strong as its most vulnerable members. Some newer member countries with smaller economies want to purchase American military hardware, but such purchases are often out of reach. As a result, these partner nations are forced to purchase less expensive and, often, less reliable military equipment from other allies or even our strategic competitors, Russia and China. Such purchases threaten America's security as well as the security of the alliance. [[Page H1547]] This bill would give the executive branch the flexibility it needs to help secure the sale of American military equipment to our NATO allies, which will not only promote our national security interests but, also, promote American jobs and bring in revenue to the treasury over the life of the loan. This legislation is long overdue, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this very important bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank Congressman McCaul for his hard work on this measure. He has been a tireless advocate on behalf of this issue. NATO security is U.S. security, and the continued protection of every American is dependent upon a strong NATO alliance. Our allies selflessly demonstrated this commitment when they came to America's aid after the terrorist attack of 9/11, and it is important that the United States remain committed to our allies and our shared democratic values as well. This is a good measure, and I am pleased to support it. I urge all Members to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2444, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________
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