H. Res. 152 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

March 30, 2009. 

Whereas for 60 years the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

(NATO) has served as the preeminent organization to defend the territories of its member states against all external threats; 

Whereas NATO, founded on the principles of democracy, individual liberty, and the rule of law, has proved an indispensable instrument for forging a transatlantic community of nations working together to safeguard the freedom and common heritage of its peoples, and promoting 

stability in the North Atlantic area; 

Whereas NATO has acted to address new risks emerging 

from outside the treaty area in the interests of preserving 

peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area, and maintains a unique collective capability to address these new 

challenges which may affect Allied interests and values; 

Whereas such challenges to NATO Allied interests and values 

include the potential for the re-emergence of unresolved 

historical disputes confronting Europe, rogue states and 

non-state actors possessing nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons and their means of delivery, transnational 

terrorism and disruption of the flow of energy resources, 

and conflicts outside the treaty area that affect vital security interests; 
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Whereas the security of NATO member states is inseparably 

linked to that of the whole of Europe, and the consolidation and strengthening of democratic and free societies 

on the entire continent, in accordance with the principles 

and commitments of the Organization for Security and 

Cooperation in Europe, is of direct and material concern 

to the NATO Alliance and its partners; 

Whereas NATO enhances the security of the United States 

by providing an integrated military structure and a 

framework for consultations on political and security concerns of any member state; 

Whereas NATO remains the embodiment of United States 

engagement in Europe and therefore membership in 

NATO remains a vital national security interest of the 

United States; 

Whereas the impending membership of Albania and Croatia 

will add to NATO’s ability to perform the full range of 

NATO missions and bolster its capability to integrate 

former communist countries into a community of democracies; 

Whereas the organization of NATO national parliamentarians, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), 

serves as a unique transatlantic forum for generating and 

maintaining legislative and public support for the Alliance, and has played a key role in initiating constructive 

dialogue between NATO parliamentarians and parliamentarians in associate and observer states; 

Whereas NATO PA activities, such as the Rose-Roth program, have played a pioneering role in promoting democratic institutions and encouraging adherence with the 

principles of the rule of law; and 
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Whereas the 60th anniversary NATO summit meeting, to be 

held on April 4, 2009, in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, 

Germany, offers the historic opportunity to chart a 

course for NATO for the next decade: Now, therefore, be 

it 

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— 

(1) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

(NATO) is to be commended for its pivotal role in preserving transatlantic peace and stability; 

(2) NATO continues to be the premier institution 

that promotes a uniquely transatlantic perspective and 

approach to issues concerning the interests and security 

of North America and Europe; 

(3) the NATO allies, at the Summit meeting to be 

held in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany, in April 

2009, should articulate a concrete vision for the Alliance 

in the 21st century, clearly setting out the continued importance of NATO for the citizens of the Allied nations; 

(4) the Alliance should begin considering a new 

strategic concept that takes into account the changing 

international security environment, reaffirms the Alliance’s functional and symbolic purposes, and outlines 

how to develop its military capabilities accordingly; 

(5) the Alliance, while maintaining collective defense 

as its core function, should, as a fundamental Alliance 
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task, continue to identify and address new areas where 

it can provide added value in tackling future threats outside the NATO treaty area, based on case-by-case consensual Alliance decision; 

(6) the Alliance should make clear commitments to 

remedy shortfalls in areas such as logistics, command, 

control, communications, intelligence, ground surveillance, readiness, deployability, mobility, sustainability, 

survivability, armaments cooperation, and effective engagement; 

(7) the Alliance must ensure equitable sharing of 

contributions to the NATO operations, common budgets, 

and overall defense expenditure and capability building; 

(8) the Alliance must recognize and act upon the 

threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism by intensifying consultations 

among political and military leaders, and consider alternative capabilities to counter these threats to the international community; 

(9) the Alliance should pace the process of NATO 

enlargement and remain prepared to extend invitations 

for accession negotiations to any appropriate European 

democracy meeting the criteria for NATO membership 

as established in the Alliance’s 1995 Study on NATO 

Enlargement; and 
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(10) the Alliance should fully support the NATO 

PA’s activities in continuing to deepen cooperation within the Alliance to forge strong links with associate and 

observer nations. 

Attest: 

Clerk.