Title: United States and Republic of Korea Alliance Support Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
United States and Republic of Korea Alliance Support Act
This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from reducing below 22,000 the number of active-duty servicemembers deployed to South Korea unless DOD makes specified certifications, including that such a reduction is in the interest of national security.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 889 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 889

To limit the use of funds to reduce the total number of members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to the Republic of 
                     Korea, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 30, 2019

  Mr. Gallagher (for himself, Mr. Malinowski, Mr. Hurd of Texas, Mr. 
 Panetta, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Kim, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Rose of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
 Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 
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 limit the use of funds to reduce the total number of members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty who are deployed to the Republic of 
                     Korea, 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 ``United States and Republic of Korea 
Alliance Support Act''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS TO REDUCE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF 
              MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY WHO 
              ARE DEPLOYED TO THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) it is in the United States national interest to 
        maintain treaty alliances and its forward military presence in 
        the Indo-Pacific region to deter conflict and preserve peace 
        and security;
            (2) the United States fully stands behind commitments to 
        its allies in Northeast Asia as articulated in the Mutual 
        Defense Treaty Between the United States and the Republic of 
        Korea and the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between 
        the United States and Japan;
            (3) the alliances between the United States and the 
        Republic of Korea and between the United States and Japan form 
        the bedrock of regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region, 
        including with respect to the threat posed by North Korea;
            (4) the withdrawal or significant reduction of United 
        States Armed Forces from the Republic of Korea may risk 
        upsetting the military balance in that region; and
            (5) Congress should be consulted in advance of any 
        significant changes to the status quo on the Korean Peninsula.
    (b) Limitation.--None of the funds made available to the Department 
of Defense for fiscal year 2019 may be used to reduce the total number 
of members of the United States Armed Forces serving on active duty who 
are deployed to the Republic of Korea below 22,000 unless--
            (1) the Secretary of Defense first submits to the 
        appropriate congressional committees a report on--
                    (A) the effect of such reduction on preserving 
                deterrence on the Korean Peninsula;
                    (B) the anticipated reaction of North Korea to such 
                reduction;
                    (C) the effect of such reduction on increasing 
                incentives for the Republic of Korea to develop an 
                independent nuclear deterrent;
                    (D) the effect of such reduction on the long-term 
                military and economic partnership between the United 
                States and the Republic of Korea and the United States 
                and Japan, respectively; and
                    (E) the effect of such reduction on the military 
                balance between the United States and the People's 
                Republic of China and between the United States and the 
                Russian Federation;
            (2) the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the 
        Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, first certifies to the 
        appropriate congressional committees that--
                    (A) such a reduction is in the national security 
                interest of the United States and will not 
                significantly undermine the security of United States 
                allies in the region;
                    (B) the Secretary has appropriately consulted with 
                allies of the United States, including the Republic of 
                Korea and Japan, regarding such a reduction; and
                    (C) the Republic of Korea would be fully capable of 
                defending itself and deterring a conflict on the Korean 
                Peninsula following such a reduction; and
            (3) such a reduction supports and is consistent with the 
        most current national defense strategy under section 113 of 
        title 10, United States Code.
    (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, 
the term ``relevant congressional committees'' means--
            (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
            (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the Senate.
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