Title: Maintaining United States National Security Interests in Europe Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Maintaining United States National Security Interests in Europe Act
This bill requires the President to take certain actions before reducing the overall presence of the Armed Forces in Europe, such as by withdrawing Armed Forces or Department of Defense personnel or closing a U.S. military base in Europe. The bill also contains other related provisions.
Generally, no later than 180 days before taking an action to reduce the U.S. presence in Europe, the President shall report to Congress (1) a justification for the action, (2) the scope and description of the reduction, (3) an explanation of the action's national security benefit, and (4) a plan to offset the reduction in conventional deterrence against Russian aggression stemming from the action. This requirement shall not apply if (1) a country hosting the U.S. forces requests the reduction in writing, or (2) Congress passes a joint resolution or act expressly authorizing the reduction.
The President shall report to Congress a detailed account of the decisionmaking process behind the decision to withdraw Armed Forces members from Germany that was announced on June 15, 2020.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7246 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7246

 To reiterate the support of the Congress of the United States for the 
  relationship between the United States and the Federal Republic of 
  Germany, to prevent the weakening of the deterrence capacity of the 
            United States in Europe, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2020

  Mr. Engel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To reiterate the support of the Congress of the United States for the 
  relationship between the United States and the Federal Republic of 
  Germany, to prevent the weakening of the deterrence capacity of the 
            United States in Europe, 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 ``Maintaining United States National 
Security Interests in Europe Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
            (1) The 2017 National Security Strategy states, ``the 
        United States will deepen collaboration with our European 
        allies and partners to confront forces threatening to undermine 
        our common values, security interests, and shared vision. The 
        United States and Europe will work together to counter Russian 
        subversion and aggression, and the threats posed by North Korea 
        and Iran. We will continue to advance our shared principles and 
        interests in international forums.''.
            (2) After the end of World War II, the presence of foreign 
        military forces in Germany was governed by a law signed in 
        April 1949 that allowed France, the United Kingdom, and the 
        United States to retain forces in Germany.
            (3) The initial law was succeeded by the Convention on the 
        Presence of Foreign Forces in the Federal Republic of Germany, 
        signed at Paris on October 23, 1954, allowing eight North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, specifically 
        Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, 
        the United Kingdom, and the United States, to maintain a long-
        term presence of military forces in Germany.
            (4) Germany has made significant contributions to the NATO 
        alliance and, by hosting the largest United States Armed Forces 
        presence in Europe, Germany has borne a significant burden in 
        the interest of collective security.
            (5) As of June 2020, the United States presence in various 
        locations in Germany, including in Stuttgart at the United 
        States European Command and the United States Africa Command, 
        consists of--
                    (A) approximately--
                            (i) 35,000 members of the Armed Forces;
                            (ii) 10,000 Department of Defense civilian 
                        employees; and
                            (iii) 2,000 defense contractors;
                    (B) personnel of the Department of State and other 
                United States Government agencies; and
                    (C) the dependents of individuals described in 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B).
            (6) The United States presence in Europe, including in 
        Germany--
                    (A) protects and defends the United States and 
                United States allies and partners by deterring conflict 
                with Russia and other adversaries;
                    (B) strengthens and supports the NATO alliance and 
                critical partnerships in Europe; and
                    (C) serves as an essential support platform for 
                carrying out vital national security engagements in 
                Afghanistan, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.
            (7) The deep bilateral ties between the United States and 
        Germany have led to decades of economic prosperity for both 
        countries and their allies and have strengthened human rights 
        and democracy around the world.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should continue to maintain and 
        strengthen the bilateral relationship with Germany and other 
        European allies;
            (2) the United States should maintain a robust military 
        presence in Germany so as to deter further aggression from 
        Russia or aggression from other adversaries against the United 
        States and its allies and partners; and
            (3) the United States should remain committed to strong 
        collaboration with European allies as outlined in the 2017 
        National Security Strategy.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS TO WITHDRAW THE ARMED FORCES FROM 
              EUROPE.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds are 
authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to take any 
action--
            (1) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall presence, 
        including rotational presence, of members of the Armed Forces 
        or civilian employees of the Department of Defense in Europe;
            (2) to close or otherwise change the status of any base or 
        other facility of the Armed Forces located in Europe; or
            (3) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall presence of 
        Armed Forces assets in Europe.
    (b) Exceptions.--The prohibition under subsection (a) shall not 
apply if--
            (1) a host government transmits to the United States 
        Government a written request for such a withdrawal or other 
        reduction; or
            (2)(A) the President declares the intent to take an action 
        described in subsection (a);
                    (B) not later than 180 days before the intended 
                date of such action, the President submits to the 
                appropriate committees of Congress notice of such 
                intent that includes--
                            (i) a justification for the action;
                            (ii) as applicable--
                                    (I) the number of members of the 
                                Armed Forces or civilian employees of 
                                the Department of Defense to be 
                                withdrawn or reduced;
                                    (II) a description of any Armed 
                                Forces assets to be withdrawn or 
                                reduced; and
                                    (III) a description of any base or 
                                facility of the United States Armed 
                                Forces in Europe to be subject to 
                                closure or change of status;
                            (iii) an explanation of the national 
                        security benefit of the action to the United 
                        States and the North Atlantic Treaty 
                        Organization; and
                            (iv) a plan to offset the reduction in 
                        United States and North Atlantic Treaty 
                        Organization conventional deterrence against 
                        Russian aggression caused by the action; and
                    (C) the action is expressly authorized by a joint 
                resolution or bill enacted after the date of the 
                declaration described in subparagraph (A).
    (c) Public Testimony.--Not later than 14 days after the submission 
of the notice described in subsection (b)(2)(B), the Secretary of State 
and the Secretary of Defense shall testify before the appropriate 
committees of Congress in public session on such action.

SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON DECISION TO WITHDRAW THE ARMED FORCES 
              FROM GERMANY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President, in consultation with the 
Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff, shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report that details the decision-making process used to 
arrive at the decision to withdraw members of the Armed Forces from 
Germany that was announced on June 15, 2020.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include 
the following:
            (1) An assessment of whether any withdrawal or reduction in 
        United States Armed Forces personnel in Germany was ordered by 
        a Presidential directive.
            (2) A description of the interagency process undertaken to 
        inform the decision outlined in any such Presidential directive 
        or other document calling for such a withdrawal or reduction.
            (3) A description of the communications with the North 
        Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Government of Germany, or 
        other member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty 
        Organization about the potential decision to change the United 
        States force posture in Germany.
            (4) An analysis of the United States national security 
        implications of the proposed withdrawal or reduction of the 
        Armed Forces presence in Germany.

SEC. 5. APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DEFINED.

    In this Act, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, 
        and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
        Armed Services, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
                                 <all>