Calling on the President to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, particularly the threat of nuclear, biological, or chemical attacks.

Bill: 117-hres-1000
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9]
Introduced: 2022-03-24
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Alliances

Appropriations

Chemical and biological weapons

Collective security

Conflicts and wars

Europe

Foreign aid and international relief

Military assistance, sales, and agreements

Military operations and strategy

Nuclear power

Nuclear weapons

Russia

Sovereignty, recognition, national governance and status

Ukraine

War crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity
Latest action: action_date: 2022-03-24
text: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-03-24
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives </p> <ul> <li>calls upon the President to declare that the Russian employment of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction that leads to a nuclear event, against or in connection with its war on Ukraine, would represent crimes against humanity;</li> <li> calls upon the President to treat such crimes against humanity as an urgent national and global security threat that may require, in concert with North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, the employment of any available conventional means as necessary to secure the peace, including the potential need to degrade and destroy offending Russian forces in Ukraine;</li> <li> calls upon the President to make immediate efforts to provide the military and other material means needed for the Ukrainian government to be able to defend its national sovereignty; and</li> <li> stands ready to provide additional appropriations or enact other legislation to meet the needs of securing Ukraine's, Europe's, and the United States' common struggle against Russian fascism.</li> </ul>

tv_txt: IV 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1000 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 24, 2022 Mr. Cohen (for himself and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Calling on the President to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, particularly the threat of nuclear, biological, or chemical attacks.

Whereas the Russian Federation is currently engaged in a brutal, illegal, premeditated, and destructive war against the sovereign, democratic country of Ukraine; Whereas the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine is in gross, clear, and uncorrected violation of the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, in contravention of the United Nations Charter, in violation of its obligations under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, and an unmitigated moral stain on its countenance; Whereas the Russian leadership has made numerous implied and overt threats regarding the potential use of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons of mass destruction in connection with its barbaric war on Ukraine; Whereas the Russian war on Ukraine is not only a humanitarian catastrophe and a global and national security crisis, but also a direct and potentially irreparable threat to global nonproliferation, including notorious and gross Russian violations of its obligations under the Budapest Memorandums and the conduct of a civilized state; Whereas, in exchange for Ukraine eliminating all nuclear weapons from its territory, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum committed its signatories, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, to refrain from the threat or use of force or economic coercion against Ukraine, and provided guarantees for the independence and sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; Whereas the employment of chemical or biological weapons by the Russian Federation would be in violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Geneva Protocol, and the Biological Weapons Convention; and Whereas the United States does not seek war, and urges an immediate end to Russian aggression in and against Ukraine, but the Russian military’s potential use of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction constitutes grave escalation over redlines that imperil United States national security and international peace: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives— (1) calls upon the President to declare that the Russian employment of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including low-yield tactical nuclear weapons, false flag operations utilizing WMDs, and the purposeful or deliberate targeting or neglect of nuclear facilities that leads to a nuclear event, against or in connection with its war on Ukraine would represent crimes against humanity; (2) calls upon the President to treat such crimes against humanity as an urgent national and global security threat that may require, in concert with North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies, the employment of any available conventional means as necessary to secure the peace, including the potential need to degrade and destroy offending Russian forces in Ukraine; (3) calls upon the President to make immediate efforts to provide the military and other material means needed for the legitimate democratic Government of Ukraine to be able to defend its national sovereignty; and (4) stands ready to make additional appropriations or legislation to meet the needs of securing Ukraine’s, Europe’s, and the United States common struggle against Russian fascism.