Bill Summary
The United States and Republic of Korea Alliance Support Act is a proposed law that aims 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. This legislation also highlights the importance of maintaining treaty alliances and a strong military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically in Northeast Asia. It requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report and obtain certification before any significant reduction in troops can occur, and ensures that Congress is consulted before any changes to the status quo on the Korean Peninsula are made. This legislation also defines the appropriate congressional committees as the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
Possible Impacts
1. The limitation on funds for reducing the number of active duty military members deployed to South Korea could affect those members and their families who may have been anticipating a deployment or may be impacted by a change in deployment status.
2. The Act's requirement for the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the effects of reducing the number of deployed military members could affect government officials and policy makers who would be responsible for reviewing and considering the report.
3. The Act's limitation on reducing the number of deployed military members could affect the overall military balance in the Indo-Pacific region and potentially impact international relations and security dynamics in the area.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4175 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4175
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
June 25, 2021
Mr. Gallagher (for himself, Mr. Malinowski, Ms. Stefanik, Mr. Panetta,
Mr. Taylor, and Mr. Kim of New Jersey) 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 2022 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 ``appropriate 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.
<all>