Title: Supporting the President's diplomatic efforts on the Korean Peninsula.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Welcomes the U.S.-North Korea summit which follows the South Korea-North Korea summit on April 27.
Urges the President, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, and regional leaders to engage diplomatically to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 861 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 861

 Supporting the President's diplomatic efforts on the Korean Peninsula.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 27, 2018

    Ms. Gabbard (for herself and Mr. Yoho) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Supporting the President's diplomatic efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

Whereas the safety and security of the American people is the first and foremost 
        responsibility of the President of the United States and the United 
        States Congress;
Whereas there is no greater and more urgent threat to the safety and welfare of 
        the American people than a nuclear weapons threat from the Democratic 
        People's Republic of Korea (North Korea);
Whereas the February 13, 2018, Worldwide Threat Assessment of the intelligence 
        community stated that ``North Korea will be among the most volatile and 
        confrontational WMD [weapons of mass destruction] threats to the United 
        States over the next year.'';
Whereas the United States has agreed to four sets of missile and nuclear 
        negotiations with North Korea: the bilateral Agreed Framework (1994-
        2002), the bilateral missile negotiations (1996-2000), the multilateral 
        Six-Party Talks (2003-2009), and the bilateral Leap Day Deal (2012); 
        these negotiations alone proved insufficient to forestall North Korea 
        from advancing its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs;
Whereas the Korean War saw as many as four million casualties, including over 
        800,000 American, South Korean, and other United Nations forces, and as 
        many as one million South Korean civilians;
Whereas of the American casualties, more than 36,000 were killed and more than 
        7,800 remain unaccounted for;
Whereas Secretary of Defense Secretary James Mattis has warned that war on the 
        Korean Peninsula ``would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most 
        people's lifetimes.'';
Whereas Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford remarked that 
        a military option with North Korea would be horrific on a scale not seen 
        since World War II;
Whereas a war between the United States and North Korea has the potential to 
        spread beyond the Korean Peninsula to include China, Russia, and Japan;
Whereas during remarks made by South Korea's national security adviser, Chung 
        Eui-yong, at the White House after meeting President Trump, stated: ``I 
        told President Trump that, in our meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong 
        Un said he is committed to denuclearization. Kim pledged that North 
        Korea will refrain from any further nuclear or missile tests. He 
        understands that the routine joint military exercises between the 
        Republic of Korea and the United States must continue. And he expressed 
        his eagerness to meet President Trump as soon as possible.'';
Whereas President Donald Trump tweeted on March 8, 2018, that ``Kim Jong Un 
        talked about denuclearization with the South Korean Representatives, not 
        just a freeze. Also, no missile testing by North Korea during this 
        period of time. Great progress being made but sanctions will remain 
        until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!''; and
Whereas the December 2017 National Security Strategy stated, ``Diplomacy 
        sustains dialogue and fosters areas of cooperation with competitors. It 
        reduces the risk of costly miscommunication.'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) welcomes the United States-North Korea summit which 
        follows the South Korea-North Korea summit on April 27;
            (2) recognizes that the American people are committed to 
        peace and support efforts toward diplomatic negotiations to 
        ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible 
        denuclearization of North Korea;
            (3) urges the President, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, 
        and regional leaders to engage diplomatically to ease tensions 
        on the Korean Peninsula, and exhaust all non-military policy 
        tools before any use of military force; and
            (4) urges the President, partner countries, and members of 
        the United Nations to maintain a campaign of strong economic 
        and diplomatic pressure until North Korea has completely, 
        verifiably, and irreversibly dismantled all of its nuclear 
        chemical, biological, and radiological weapons programs, 
        including all programs for the development of systems designed 
        in whole or in part for the delivery of such weapons.
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