IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1008 

Affirming the United States commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and condemning President Donald Trump’s failure to confront 

Vladimir Putin for Russia’s election interference and worldwide aggression, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 23, 2018 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself and Mr. SCHIFF) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 

to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), 

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 

RESOLUTION 

Affirming the United States commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and condemning President Donald Trump’s failure to confront Vladimir Putin for Russia’s election interference and worldwide aggression, and 

for other purposes. 

Whereas Presidents of both the Republican and Democratic 

parties have embraced the mantle of promoting democracy and human rights on the international stage; 

Whereas in the wake of World War II, the United States led 

the effort to rebuild Europe through the Marshall Plan, 


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•HRES 1008 IH 

the Berlin Airlift, and other efforts that promoted a prosperous, peaceful, and democratic Europe; 

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is 

an alliance built upon shared democratic values and committed to the collective defense of its members; 

Whereas the United States was a founding member of the alliance and, beginning with NATO’s first Supreme Allied 

Commander Europe, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, has 

proudly provided leadership to the alliance for nearly seventy years; 

Whereas NATO continues to provide a defensive shield for allies against a revanchist Russia, train regional partners 

in Eastern Europe, and contribute to peace and security 

more broadly; 

Whereas President Trump has undermined the core principle 

of NATO, that of mutual defense, by criticizing Article 

5 of the NATO treaty and questioning whether the 

United States would come to the defense of a NATO 

member state if it is attacked; 

Whereas, in a departure from decades of encouraging European integration and closer ties to the United States, 

President Trump referred to the European Union as 

America’s leading geopolitical ‘‘foe’’; 

Whereas President Trump has departed from the precedents 

of Presidents of both parties in publicly castigating 

NATO allies and other democratic countries, while praising autocratic rulers who undermine or destroy democratic processes in their own countries and violate human 

rights with impunity; 

Whereas, on January 6, 2017, the Director of National Intelligence released an Intelligence Community Assessment 


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(ICA) on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 United States 

election that stated, ‘‘We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed 

at the US presidential election. Russia’s goals were to 

undermine public faith in the US democratic process, 

denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability 

and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and 

the Russian Government developed a clear preference for 

President-elect Trump.’’; 

Whereas President Trump has repeatedly dismissed the judgments of the intelligence community (as such term is defined in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 

(50 U.S.C. 3003(4)) regarding Russia’s interference in 

the 2016 United States election; 

Whereas, on July 3, 2018, the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate released a report assessing the quality of the January 2017 ICA and found ‘‘the ICA is a 

sound intelligence product;’’ 

Whereas despite being aware that Russia interfered in the 

2016 United States election, President Trump met with 

President Putin in Helsinki, Finland, on July 16, 2018; 

Whereas President Trump has refused to denounce President 

Putin or the Russian Federation for interfering in the 

2016 United States election; 

Whereas President Trump stated that the United States policy toward Russia has been ‘‘foolish’’ and the United 

States is ‘‘responsible’’ for the present state of the relationship between the United States and Russia; 

Whereas President Trump stated, ‘‘President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial’’ of Russian interference in the 2016 United States election; 


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Whereas President Trump stated, ‘‘[The Director of National 

Intelligence] came to me and some others they said they 

think it’s Russia. I have President Putin. He just said 

it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why 

it would be [Russia].’’; 

Whereas in attempting to clarify these remarks in Helsinki, 

President Trump once again cast doubt on the intelligence community’s judgement saying, ‘‘Could be other 

people also. There’s a lot of people out there.’’; 

Whereas President Putin stated in response to whether he 

wanted President Trump to win the 2016 election, ‘‘Yes, 

I did. Yes, I did.’’; 

Whereas President Trump stated that the United States Government investigation into Russian interference in the 

2016 United States election is a ‘‘disaster for our country’’ and ‘‘a total witch hunt’’; 

Whereas despite President Trump’s assertions that Russia 

did not interfere in the 2016 election, the Department of 

Justice has indicted and secured guilty pleas from multiple individuals over the course of its investigations into 

the Trump-Russia scandal; 

Whereas, on July 13, 2018, the Department of Justice indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for illegally hacking Democratic Party computer systems and 

subsequently distributing the material in furtherance of 

the Russian effort to interfere in the 2016 United States 

election; and 

Whereas in his belligerent behavior towards our closest allies 

and obsequious treatment of Vladimir Putin, President 

Trump calls into question the United States commitment 

to NATO, opposition to Russian aggression, and obligaVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:24 Jul 24, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1008.IH HR1008

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tion to counter attacks on our shared democratic values: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) affirms the commitment of the United 

3 States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

4 (NATO) and to the duty to promote democracy, 

5 freedom, human rights, market-based economies, 

6 rule of law, and security around the world; 

7 (2) concurs with the January 2017 Intelligence 

8 Community Assessment concerning Russia’s inter9 ference in the 2016 United States election to benefit 

10 Donald Trump and damage Hillary Clinton; 

11 (3) demands that the United States seek and 

12 the Russian Federation grant transfers to the 

13 United States of the 12 Russian military intelligence 

14 officers indicted for interfering in the 2016 United 

15 States election; and 

16 (4) condemns President Trump for— 

17 (A) his efforts to undermine the findings 

18 of the United States intelligence community; 

19 (B) his failure to hold the Russian Federa20 tion accountable for its illegal attack on Amer21 ican democracy; 

22 (C) his actions to undermine United States 

23 global leadership, attacking allies and partners, 


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1 befriending strongmen, and otherwise upending 

2 the international system; and 

3 (D) his failure to fulfill his duty to place 

4 the interests of the United States before all oth5 ers, including those of the Russian Federation, 

6 thereby violating the Presidential oath of office, 

7 which states that the President shall ‘‘faithfully 

8 execute the Office of President of the United 

9 States, and will to the best of [his] ability, pre10 serve, protect and defend the Constitution of 

11 the United States’’. 

Æ 


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