Bill Summary
The Allied Burden Sharing Report Act of 2019 is a bill that requires the Secretary of Defense to submit annual reports to Congress on the contributions of allies to the common defense. This includes information on their defense spending, participation in military or stability operations, and any limitations placed on their contributions. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that the President should work with other countries to ensure they are fulfilling their international security responsibilities and agreements. The reports will be submitted to the appropriate committees of Congress and will be made available to any Member of Congress.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could potentially affect people in countries listed under Section 3 by requiring their governments to report on their annual defense spending and contributions to military operations with the United States. This could potentially impact their economy and allocation of resources.
2. The legislation could also affect members of Congress by requiring them to review and assess the information provided in the annual reports. This could impact their decision-making and allocation of funding for defense.
3. People in the United States could be impacted by the findings and limitations outlined in the annual reports, as it could affect the level of protection and readiness of the Armed Forces and the country as a whole.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2047 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2047
To require annual reports on allied contributions to the common
defense, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 3, 2019
Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself and Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require annual reports on allied contributions to the common
defense, 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 ``Allied Burden Sharing Report Act of
2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDING; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Finding.--Congress finds that section 1003 of the Department of
Defense Authorization Act, 1985 (Public Law 98-525; 63 Stat. 2241)--
(1) expresses the sense of Congress that, due to threats
that are ever-changing, Congress must be informed with respect
to allied contributions to the common defense to properly
assess the readiness of the United States and the countries
described in section 3(b) for threats; and
(2) requires the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress
an annual report on the contributions of allies to the common
defense.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the threats facing the United States--
(A) extend beyond the global war on terror; and
(B) include near-peer threats; and
(2) the President should seek from each country described
in section 3(b) acceptance of international security
responsibilities and agreements to make contributions to the
common defense in accordance with the collective defense
agreements or treaties to which such country is a party.
SEC. 3. REPORTS ON ALLIED CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMON DEFENSE.
(a) In General.--Not later than March 1 each year, the Secretary,
in coordination with the heads of other Federal agencies, as the
Secretary determines to be necessary, shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report containing a description of--
(1) the annual defense spending by each country described
in subsection (b), including available data on nominal budget
figures and defense spending as a percentage of the gross
domestic products of each such country for the fiscal year
immediately preceding the fiscal year in which the report is
submitted;
(2) the activities of each such country to contribute to
military or stability operations in which the Armed Forces of
the United States are a participant or may be called upon in
accordance with a cooperative defense agreement to which the
United States is a party;
(3) any limitations placed by any such country on the use
of such contributions; and
(4) any actions undertaken by the United States or by other
countries to minimize such limitations.
(b) Countries Described.--The countries described in this
subsection are the following:
(1) Each member state of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
(2) Each member state of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
(3) Each country party to the Inter-American Treaty of
Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty), done at Rio de Janeiro
September 2, 1947, and entered into force December 3, 1948
(TIAS 1838).
(4) Australia.
(5) Japan.
(6) New Zealand.
(7) The Philippines.
(8) South Korea.
(9) Thailand.
(c) Form.--Each report under subsection (a) shall be submitted in
unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.
(d) Availability.--A report submitted under subsection (a) shall be
made available on request to any Member of Congress.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee
on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations
of the House of Representatives.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Defense.
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