I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7246 

To reiterate the support of the Congress of the United States for the relationship between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany, 

to prevent the weakening of the deterrence capacity of the United States 

in Europe, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2020 

Mr. ENGEL introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, 

for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 

for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 

committee concerned 

A BILL 

To reiterate the support of the Congress of the United States 

for the relationship between the United States and the 

Federal Republic of Germany, to prevent the weakening 

of the deterrence capacity of the United States in Europe, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maintaining United 

5 States National Security Interests in Europe Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The 2017 National Security Strategy states, 

4 ‘‘the United States will deepen collaboration with 

5 our European allies and partners to confront forces 

6 threatening to undermine our common values, secu7 rity interests, and shared vision. The United States 

8 and Europe will work together to counter Russian 

9 subversion and aggression, and the threats posed by 

10 North Korea and Iran. We will continue to advance 

11 our shared principles and interests in international 

12 forums.’’. 

13 (2) After the end of World War II, the presence 

14 of foreign military forces in Germany was governed 

15 by a law signed in April 1949 that allowed France, 

16 the United Kingdom, and the United States to re17 tain forces in Germany. 

18 (3) The initial law was succeeded by the Con19 vention on the Presence of Foreign Forces in the 

20 Federal Republic of Germany, signed at Paris on 

21 October 23, 1954, allowing eight North Atlantic 

22 Treaty Organization (NATO) members, specifically 

23 Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, 

24 the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the 

25 United States, to maintain a long-term presence of 

26 military forces in Germany. 


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1 (4) Germany has made significant contributions 

2 to the NATO alliance and, by hosting the largest 

3 United States Armed Forces presence in Europe, 

4 Germany has borne a significant burden in the inter5 est of collective security. 

6 (5) As of June 2020, the United States pres7 ence in various locations in Germany, including in 

8 Stuttgart at the United States European Command 

9 and the United States Africa Command, consists 

10 of— 

11 (A) approximately— 

12 (i) 35,000 members of the Armed 

13 Forces; 

14 (ii) 10,000 Department of Defense ci15 vilian employees; and 

16 (iii) 2,000 defense contractors; 

17 (B) personnel of the Department of State 

18 and other United States Government agencies; 

19 and 

20 (C) the dependents of individuals described 

21 in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 

22 (6) The United States presence in Europe, in23 cluding in Germany— 


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1 (A) protects and defends the United States 

2 and United States allies and partners by deter3 ring conflict with Russia and other adversaries; 

4 (B) strengthens and supports the NATO 

5 alliance and critical partnerships in Europe; 

6 and 

7 (C) serves as an essential support platform 

8 for carrying out vital national security engage9 ments in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Africa, 

10 and Europe. 

11 (7) The deep bilateral ties between the United 

12 States and Germany have led to decades of economic 

13 prosperity for both countries and their allies and 

14 have strengthened human rights and democracy 

15 around the world. 

16 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con17 gress that— 

18 (1) the United States should continue to main19 tain and strengthen the bilateral relationship with 

20 Germany and other European allies; 

21 (2) the United States should maintain a robust 

22 military presence in Germany so as to deter further 

23 aggression from Russia or aggression from other ad24 versaries against the United States and its allies and 

25 partners; and 


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1 (3) the United States should remain committed 

2 to strong collaboration with European allies as out3 lined in the 2017 National Security Strategy. 

4 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO WITHDRAW 

5 THE ARMED FORCES FROM EUROPE. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

7 (b), notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Fed8 eral funds are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise 

9 made available to take any action— 

10 (1) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall 

11 presence, including rotational presence, of members 

12 of the Armed Forces or civilian employees of the De13 partment of Defense in Europe; 

14 (2) to close or otherwise change the status of 

15 any base or other facility of the Armed Forces lo16 cated in Europe; or 

17 (3) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall 

18 presence of Armed Forces assets in Europe. 

19 (b) EXCEPTIONS.—The prohibition under subsection 

20 (a) shall not apply if— 

21 (1) a host government transmits to the United 

22 States Government a written request for such a 

23 withdrawal or other reduction; or 

24 (2)(A) the President declares the intent to take 

25 an action described in subsection (a); 


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1 (B) not later than 180 days before the in2 tended date of such action, the President sub3 mits to the appropriate committees of Congress 

4 notice of such intent that includes— 

5 (i) a justification for the action; 

6 (ii) as applicable— 

7 (I) the number of members of the 

8 Armed Forces or civilian employees of 

9 the Department of Defense to be 

10 withdrawn or reduced; 

11 (II) a description of any Armed 

12 Forces assets to be withdrawn or re13 duced; and 

14 (III) a description of any base or 

15 facility of the United States Armed 

16 Forces in Europe to be subject to clo17 sure or change of status; 

18 (iii) an explanation of the national se19 curity benefit of the action to the United 

20 States and the North Atlantic Treaty Or21 ganization; and 

22 (iv) a plan to offset the reduction in 

23 United States and North Atlantic Treaty 

24 Organization conventional deterrence 


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1 against Russian aggression caused by the 

2 action; and 

3 (C) the action is expressly authorized by a 

4 joint resolution or bill enacted after the date of 

5 the declaration described in subparagraph (A). 

6 (c) PUBLIC TESTIMONY.—Not later than 14 days 

7 after the submission of the notice described in subsection 

8 (b)(2)(B), the Secretary of State and the Secretary of De9 fense shall testify before the appropriate committees of 

10 Congress in public session on such action. 

11 SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON DECISION TO WITH12 DRAW THE ARMED FORCES FROM GERMANY. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act, the President, in con15 sultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of De16 fense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall 

17 submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report 

18 that details the decision-making process used to arrive at 

19 the decision to withdraw members of the Armed Forces 

20 from Germany that was announced on June 15, 2020. 

21 (b) ELEMENTS.—The report required by subsection 

22 (a) shall include the following: 

23 (1) An assessment of whether any withdrawal 

24 or reduction in United States Armed Forces perVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:05 Jul 23, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H7246.IH H7246

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1 sonnel in Germany was ordered by a Presidential di2 rective. 

3 (2) A description of the interagency process un4 dertaken to inform the decision outlined in any such 

5 Presidential directive or other document calling for 

6 such a withdrawal or reduction. 

7 (3) A description of the communications with 

8 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Govern9 ment of Germany, or other member countries of the 

10 North Atlantic Treaty Organization about the poten11 tial decision to change the United States force pos12 ture in Germany. 

13 (4) An analysis of the United States national 

14 security implications of the proposed withdrawal or 

15 reduction of the Armed Forces presence in Germany. 

16 SEC. 5. APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE17 FINED. 

18 In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate committees of 

19 Congress’’ means— 

20 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 

21 Committee on Armed Services, the Permanent Select 

22 Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on 

23 Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and 

24 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 

25 Committee on Armed Services, the Select Committee 


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1 on Intelligence, and the Committee on Appropria2 tions of the Senate. 

Æ 


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