I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4300
To increase burdensharing for the United States military presence in the
Persian Gulf region.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 13, 2000
Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself and Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International Rela-
tions, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To increase burdensharing for the United States military
presence in the Persian Gulf region.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION. 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Persian Gulf Security
Cost Fairness Act’’.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the several key oil-producing countries that
relied on the United States for their military protec-
tion in 1990 and 1991, including during the Persian
Gulf conflict, and continue to depend on the United
States for their security and stability, should share
in the responsibility for that stability and security
commensurate with their national capabilities; and
(2) the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Coun-
cil (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,
and the United Arab Emirates) have the economic
capability to contribute more toward their own secu-
rity and stability and therefore these countries
should contribute commensurate with that capa-
bility.
SEC. 3. EFFORTS TO INCREASE BURDENSHARING BY COUN-
TRIES IN THE PERSIAN GULF REGION BENE-
FITTING FROM UNITED STATES MILITARY
PRESENCE.
The President shall seek to have each country in the
Persian Gulf region to which the United States extends
military protection (either through security agreements,
basing arrangements, or mutual participation in multi-
national military organizations or operations) take one or
more of the following actions:
(1) For any country in which United States
military personnel are assigned to permanent duty
ashore, increase its financial contributions to the
payment of the nonpersonnel costs incurred by the
United States government for stationing United
States military personnel in that country, with the
goal of achieving by September 30, 2003, 75 percent
of such costs. An increase in financial contributions
by any country under this paragraph may include
the elimination of taxes, fees, or other charges levied
on the United States military personnel, equipment,
or facilities stationed in that country.
(2) Increase its annual budgetary outlays for
national defense as a percentage of its gross domes-
tic product by 10 percent or at least to a level com-
mensurate to that of the United States by Sep-
tember 30, 2001.
(3) Increase its annual budgetary outlays for
foreign assistance (to promote democratization, eco-
nomic stabilization, transparency arrangements, de-
fense economic conversion, respect for the rule of
law, and internationally recognized human rights) by
10 percent or at least to a level commensurate to
that of the United States by September 30, 2001.
(4) Increase the amount of military assets (in-
cluding personnel, equipment, logistics, support and
other resources) that it contributes, or would be pre-
pared to contribute, to military activities in the Per-
sian Gulf region.
SEC. 4. AUTHORITIES TO ENCOURAGE ACTIONS BY UNITED
STATES ALLIES.
In seeking the actions described in section 3 with re-
spect to any country, or in response to a failure by any
country to undertake one or more of such actions, the
President may take any of the following measures to the
extent otherwise authorized by law:
(1) Reduce the end strength level of members
of the Armed Forces assigned to permanent or part-
time duty in the Persian Gulf region.
(2) Impose on those countries fees or other
charges similar to those that such countries impose
on United States forces stationed in such countries.
(3) Suspend, modify, or terminate any bilateral
security agreement the United States has with that
country, consistent with the terms of such agree-
ment.
(4) Reduce (through rescission, impoundment,
or other appropriate procedures as authorized by
law) any United States bilateral assistance appro-
priated for that country.
(5) Take any other action the President deter-
mines to be appropriate as authorized by law.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON PROGRESS IN INCREASING ALLIED
BURDENSHARING.
Not later than March 1, 2001, the Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to Congress a report on—
(1) steps taken by other countries to complete
the actions described in section 3;
(2) all measure taken by the President, includ-
ing those authorized in section 4, to achieve the ac-
tions described in section 3;
(3) the difference between the amount allocated
by other countries for each of the actions described
in section 3 during the period beginning on October
1, 2000, and ending on September 30, 2001, and
during the period beginning on October 1, 2001, and
ending on September 30, 2002; and
(4) the budgetary savings to the United States
that are expected to accrue as a result of the steps
described under paragraph (1).
SEC. 6. REVIEW AND REPORT ON NATIONAL SECURITY
BASES FOR FORWARD DEPLOYMENT AND
BURDENSHARING RELATIONSHIPS.
(a) REVIEW.—In order to ensure the best allocation
of budgetary resources, the President shall undertake a
review of the status of elements of the United States
Armed Forces that are permanently stationed outside the
United States. The review shall include an assessment of
the following:
(1) The requirements that are to be found in
agreements between the United States and the allies
of the United States in the Persian Gulf region.
(2) The national security interests that support
permanent stationing of elements of the United
States Armed Forces outside the United States.
(3) The stationing costs associated with for-
ward deployment of elements of the United States
Armed Forces.
(4) The alternatives available to forward de-
ployment (such as material prepositioning, enhanced
airlift and sealift, or joint training operations) to
meet such requirements or national security inter-
ests, with such alternatives identified and described
in detail.
(5) The costs and force structure configurations
associated with such alternatives to forward deploy-
ment.
(6) The financial contributions that allies of the
United States in the Persian Gulf region make to
common defense efforts (to promote democratiza-
tion, economic stabilization, transparency arrange-
ments, defense economic conversion, respect for the
rule of law, and internationally recognized human
rights).
(7) The contributions that allies of the United
States in the Persian Gulf region make to meeting
the stationing costs associated with the forward de-
ployment of elements of the United States Armed
Forces.
(8) The annual expenditures of the United
States and its allies in the Persian Gulf region on
national defense, and the relative percentages of
each country’s gross domestic product constituted by
those expenditures.
(b) REPORT.—The President shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the review under subsection (a). The
report shall be submitted not later than March 1, 2001,
in classified and unclassified form.
Æ