IIA 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 4 

Requiring the advice and consent of the Senate or an Act of Congress 

to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United States from the North 

Atlantic Treaty and authorizing related litigation, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 17, 2019 

Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. REED, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. 

BLUMENTHAL, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. COONS, Ms. COLLINS, and Mr. DURBIN) 

introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

JOINT RESOLUTION 

Requiring the advice and consent of the Senate or an Act 

of Congress to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the 

United States from the North Atlantic Treaty and authorizing related litigation, and for other purposes. 

1 Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives

2 of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. OPPOSITION OF CONGRESS TO SUSPENSION, 

4 TERMINATION, OR WITHDRAWAL FROM 

5 NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY. 

6 The President shall not suspend, terminate, or with7 draw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty, 


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•SJ 4 IS 

1 done at Washington, DC, April 4, 1949, except by and 

2 with the advice and consent of the Senate, provided that 

3 two thirds of the Senators present concur, or pursuant to 

4 an Act of Congress. 

5 SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON THE USE OF FUNDS. 

6 No funds authorized or appropriated by any Act may 

7 be used to support, directly or indirectly, any efforts on 

8 the part of any United States Government official to take 

9 steps to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United 

10 States from the North Atlantic Treaty, done at Wash11 ington, DC, April 4, 1949, until such time as the Senate 

12 passes, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of Members, 

13 a resolution advising and consenting to the withdrawal of 

14 the United States from the treaty or pursuant to an Act 

15 of Congress. 

16 SEC. 3. NOTIFICATION OF TREATY ACTION. 

17 The President shall notify the Committee on Foreign 

18 Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign 

19 Affairs of the House of Representatives in writing of any 

20 effort to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United 

21 States from the North Atlantic Treaty, as soon as possible 

22 but in no event later than 48 hours after any such action 

23 is taken. 


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1 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF LEGAL COUNSEL TO REP2 RESENT CONGRESS. 

3 Both the Senate Legal Counsel and the General 

4 Counsel to the House of Representatives are authorized 

5 to independently or collectively represent Congress in initi6 ating or intervening in any judicial proceedings in any 

7 Federal court of competent jurisdiction on behalf of Con8 gress in order to oppose any effort to suspend, terminate, 

9 or withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic 

10 Treaty in a manner inconsistent with this joint resolution. 

11 SEC. 5. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 

12 Any legal counsel operating pursuant to section 4 

13 shall report as soon as practicable to the Committee on 

14 Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 

15 Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives with re16 spect to any judicial proceedings which the Senate Legal 

17 Counsel or the General Counsel to the House of Rep18 resentatives, as the case may be, initiates or in which it 

19 intervenes pursuant to this resolution. 

Æ 


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