Bill Summary
The Baltic Security Initiative Act is a bill that aims to strengthen the defensive capabilities of the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) through increased cooperation and strategic planning. It was established by the Secretary of Defense and will be carried out under existing authorities. The objectives of the initiative include deterring Russian aggression, enhancing regional planning and cooperation, and improving cyber defenses. Within one year of the bill's enactment, the Secretary of Defense is required to submit a strategy to Congress outlining how these objectives will be achieved. The bill also authorizes $350 million in funding for each of the fiscal years 2024-2026 and encourages the Secretary of Defense to seek matching funds from the Baltic countries. The bill defines the terms "Baltic countries" and "NATO" for the purposes of this legislation.
Possible Impacts
1. The Baltic Security Initiative Act could affect people living in the Baltic countries, as it aims to enhance their security cooperation and defense capabilities. This could potentially lead to increased military presence and activities in these countries, which could impact local communities and individuals.
2. The Act could also affect people living in neighboring countries, particularly Poland, as it calls for coordination and security enhancements for this NATO ally. This could potentially lead to changes in border security and relations between these countries.
3. The Act could also impact taxpayers in the United States, as it authorizes a significant amount of funding ($350 million per year for three years) to be appropriated to the Secretary of Defense for the initiative. This could potentially lead to changes in government spending and budget allocations.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2922 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2922
To establish the Baltic Security Initiative for the purpose of
strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Baltic countries, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 27, 2023
Mr. Bacon (for himself and Mr. Gallego) 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 establish the Baltic Security Initiative for the purpose of
strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Baltic countries, 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 ``Baltic Security Initiative Act''.
SEC. 2. BALTIC SECURITY INITIATIVE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall establish and carry out
an initiative, to be known as the ``Baltic Security
Initiative'', for the purpose of deepening security cooperation
with the Baltic countries.
(2) Relationship to existing authorities.--The initiative
required by this subsection shall be carried out pursuant to
the authorities of title 10, United States Code.
(b) Objectives.--The objectives of the initiative required by
subsection (a) shall be--
(1) to achieve United States national security objectives
by--
(A) deterring Russian aggression; and
(B) implementing NATO's new Strategic Concept which
seeks to strengthen the alliance's deterrence and
defense posture by denying potential adversaries any
possible opportunities for aggression;
(2) to enhance regional planning and cooperation among the
Baltic countries, particularly with respect to long-term
regional capability projects, including--
(A) long range precision fire systems and
capabilities;
(B) integrated air and missile defense;
(C) maritime domain awareness;
(D) land forces development, including stockpiling
large caliber ammunition;
(E) command, control, communications, computers,
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance;
(F) special operations forces development;
(G) coordination with and security enhancements for
Poland, which is a neighboring NATO ally; and
(H) other military capabilities as determined by
the Secretary of Defense; and
(3) to improve the Baltic countries' cyber defenses and
resilience to hybrid threats.
(c) Strategy.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to Congress a report setting forth a strategy of the
Department of Defense to achieve the objectives described in
subsection (b) of the initiative required by subsection (a).
(2) Considerations.--The strategy required by this
subsection shall include a consideration of--
(A) current security assistance programs for the
Baltic countries;
(B) the ongoing security threats to NATO's eastern
flank posed by Russian aggression, including as a
result of the Russian Federation's 2022 invasion of
Ukraine with support from Belarus; and
(C) the ongoing security threats to the Baltic
countries posed by the presence, coercive economic
policies, and other malign activities of the People's
Republic of China.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Defense $350,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2024, 2025, and 2026 to carry out the initiative required
by subsection (a).
(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the Secretary of Defense should seek to require matching funds
from those Baltic countries that participate in the initiative
required by subsection (a) in amounts commensurate with amounts
provided by the Department of Defense under such initiative.
(e) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``Baltic countries'' means--
(A) Estonia;
(B) Latvia; and
(C) Lithuania; and
(2) the term ``NATO'' means the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization.
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