Baltic Reassurance Act
Bill: H.R.9120 | Sponsor: Rep. Pfluger, August (R-TX)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Baltic Reassurance Act
This bill directs the Department of Defense to report to Congress an assessment of the military requirements of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members and countries in the Baltic region that would allow such countries to deter and resist Russian aggression.

To require a comprehensive military assessment of the needs of Baltic 
countries to deter and resist aggression by the Russian Federation, and 
                          for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Baltic Reassurance Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Russian Federation seeks to diminish the North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and recreate its sphere of 
        influence in Europe using coercion, intimidation, and outright 
        aggression.
            (2) Deterring the Russian Federation from such aggression 
        is vital for transatlantic security.
            (3) The illegal occupation of Crimea by the Russian 
        Federation and its continued engagement of destabilizing and 
        subversive activities against independent and free states is of 
        increasing concern.
            (4) The Russian Federation also continues to disregard 
        treaties, international laws and rights to freedom of 
        navigation, territorial integrity, and sovereign international 
        borders.
            (5) The Russian Federation's continued occupation of 
        Georgian and Ukrainian territories and the sustained military 
        buildup in the Russian Federation's Western Military District 
        and Kaliningrad has threatened continental peace and stability.
            (6) The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania 
        are particularly vulnerable to an increasingly aggressive and 
        subversive Russian Federation.
            (7) In a declaration to celebrate 100 years of independence 
        of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued on April 3, 2018, the 
        Trump Administration reaffirmed United States commitments to 
        these Baltic countries to ``improve military readiness and 
        capabilities through sustained security assistance'' and 
        ``explore new ideas and opportunities, including air defense, 
        bilaterally and in NATO, to enhance deterrence across the 
        region''.
            (8) These highly valued NATO allies of the United States 
        have repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to advancing 
        mutual interests as well as those of the NATO alliance.
            (9) The Baltic countries also continue to participate in 
        United States-led exercises to further promote coordination, 
        cooperation, and interoperability among allies and partner 
        countries, and continue to demonstrate their reliability and 
        commitment to provide for their own defense.
            (10) Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia each hosts a respected 
        NATO Center of Excellence that provides expertise to educate 
        and promote NATO allies and partners in areas of vital interest 
        to the alliance.
            (11) United States support and commitment to allies across 
        Europe has been a lynchpin for peace and security on the 
        continent for over 70 years.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress as follows:
            (1) The United States is committed to the security of the 
        Baltic countries and should strengthen cooperation and support 
        capacity-building initiatives aimed at improving the defense 
        and security of such countries.
            (2) The United States should lead a multilateral effort to 
        develop a strategy to deepen joint capabilities with Lithuania, 
        Latvia, Estonia, NATO allies, and other regional partners, to 
        deter against aggression from the Russian Federation in the 
        Baltic region, specifically in areas that would strengthen 
        interoperability, joint capabilities, and military readiness 
        necessary for Baltic countries to strengthen their national 
        resilience.
            (3) The United States should explore the feasibility of 
        providing long range, mobile air defense systems in the Baltic 
        region, including through leveraging cost-sharing mechanisms 
        and multilateral deployment with NATO allies to reduce 
        financial burdens on host countries.

SEC. 4. DEFENSE ASSESSMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation 
with appropriate counterparts of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, and other regional 
partners, conduct a comprehensive, multilateral assessment of the 
military requirements of such countries to deter and resist aggression 
by the Russian Federation that--
            (1) provides an assessment of past and current initiatives 
        to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, readiness, and 
        interoperability of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia's national 
        defense capabilities; and
            (2) assesses the manner in which to meet those objectives, 
        including future resource requirements and recommendations, by 
        undertaking activities in the following areas:
                    (A) Activities to increase the rotational and 
                forward presence, improve the capabilities, and enhance 
                the posture and response readiness of the United States 
                or forces of NATO in the Baltic region.
                    (B) Activities to improve air defense systems, 
                including modern air-surveillance capabilities.
                    (C) Activities to improve counter-unmanned aerial 
                system capabilities.
                    (D) Activities to improve command and control 
                capabilities through increasing communications, 
                technology, and intelligence capacity and coordination, 
                including secure and hardened communications.
                    (E) Activities to improve intelligence, 
                surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
                    (F) Activities to enhance maritime domain 
                awareness.
                    (G) Activities to improve military and defense 
                infrastructure, logistics, and access, particularly 
                transport of military supplies and equipment.
                    (H) Investments to ammunition stocks and storage.
                    (I) Activities and training to enhance cyber 
                security and electronic warfare capabilities.
                    (J) Bilateral and multilateral training and 
                exercises.
                    (K) New and existing cost-sharing mechanisms with 
                United States and NATO allies to reduce financial 
                burden.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees a report that includes each of the following:
            (1) A report on the findings of the assessment conducted 
        pursuant to subsection (a).
            (2) A list of any recommendations resulting from such 
        assessment.
            (3) An assessment of the resource requirements to achieve 
        the objectives described in subsection (a)(1) with respect to 
        the national defense capability of Baltic countries, including 
        potential investments by host countries.
            (4) A plan for the United States to use appropriate 
        security cooperation authorities or other authorities to--
                    (A) facilitate relevant recommendations included in 
                the list described in paragraph (2);
                    (B) expand joint training between the Armed Forces 
                and the military of Lithuania, Latvia, or Estonia, 
                including with the participation of other NATO allies; 
                and
                    (C) support United States foreign military sales 
                and other equipment transfers to Baltic countries 
                especially for the activities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (I) of subsection (a)(2).

SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES DEFINED.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``congressional defense 
committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
        Appropriations, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
        House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
        Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Foreign 
        Relations of the Senate.
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