Dear Members and Friends:
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATORS TO REQUEST THEM TO COSPONSOR SENATE BILL S.J. RES. 4 TO PREVENT WITHDRAWAL OF THE UNITED STATES FROM NATO WITHOUT SENATE APPROVAL.
BACKGROUND:
NATO IS FACING ONE OF ITS MOST SERIOUS AND DIFFICULT CRISIS IN ITS 7O YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL AND VALUABLE EXISTENCE..
What we currently face is not a crisis of military strength or combat readiness, but rather, an assault by a number of important U.S. policy leaders who propose that NATO membership is not in the U.
S. strategic self interest, that it has no value to U.S defense and that it is obsolete.
The short response is that NATO ensures European security. European security helps to ensure American security. Therefore, anything which enhances or degrades NATO enhances and or degrades American security. U.S. involvement in NATO ensures that Europe stays secure, calm and prosperous,as will the U.S.
NATO’s mission is to safeguard the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. An essential component of NATO’s founding mission was to prevent expansion of the Soviet Union; today the threat seems to be the Russian Federation. An aggressive, revanchist Russia has demonstrated a willingness to expand its borders by military invasion, flaunting international law, and breaking agreements and treaties through intimidation and force.
NATO is the backbone of security and stability in Europe. Stability that has served the U. S. well. If the U.S. were to abandon NATO, the member states would be in a considerably weaker position that would invite Russia to harass and threaten them, which can escalate to full scale war. This is what occurred to Ukraine. By guaranteeing mutual defense, NATO makes an attack on any member a dangerous risk. Because of this, for the past 70 years no NATO member has been attacked or occupied by the Russian Federation or any other country.
The NATO alliance has enhanced our military capability, increased our intelligence collection, and created a bulwark against international terror. NATO bases in Europe provide significant benefits. A permanent presence in Europe assures that the U.S. can carry out its obligations timely and effectively. Also being nearer to global hot spots in the Middle East allows the U.S. more numerous options for responding to incidents in the region.
Our partners in Europe share common values with us: democracy, the rule of law, respect for the rights of the governed and a free market economy. Most have stayed with us since the end of World War II. They remain with us in NATO’s most important mission–the defense of free, independent and democratic countries in North America and Europe. NATO solidifies our relationship with the individual countries in the alliance. Since its creation in 1949, NATO has done more to promote democracy, peace and security than any other multilateral organization.
NATO has been the most successful military alliance in human history. It is an interdependency that has stood as a sturdy, strong and sound anchor for peace that has prevented new world wars, fostered Western prosperity and advanced democratic governance.
Those who try tot break up the alliance or diminish its importance should realize that we are giving Russia considerably more political, economic and military influence in Europe, inviting more Russian adventurism in Europe and other areas.
A little history on Russian aggression. Russia occupied Ukraine, they did the same to Georgia and Moldova and annexed Crimea. Russia sent submarines into Sweden’s rivers, threatened nuclear destruction of Norway, kidnapped an innocent Estonian, conducted a cyber attack against Estonia, murdered Putin’s opponents in London and continuously threaten the Baltic countries.
Not only does NATO remain relevant, but more importantly, it continues to support and advance U.S. security interests. Most fundamentally NATO provides a standing multilateral military capability that can deter or be deployed should a significant security threat arise. Because NATO has a military capability in place, the core elements for mobilization, deployment, and sustainment of substantial multilateral military forces already exist.
The ongoing training, exercises and regular communications among the national militaries of NATO members allows them to jump start preparations and actions when needed without lengthy preparatory work. While the U.S. has the right to act unilaterally, it makes sense to partner with others whenever possible.
NATO stands at the heart of our defense. Leaving NATO would be a unthinkable seismic step that would shake up a western alliance which has endured for more than 70 years. NATO allies have stood with the United States in joint operations in the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world.
SOLUTION
The broad consensus of constitutional lawyers and experts is that the President has the unilateral authority to terminate a treaty without first getting consent from the Senate or the House. It takes a vote of two thirds of the Senate to adopt a treaty, but one person, the President, can terminate it. We are proud of our Constitution in that it places checks and balances on the three branches government–but the NATO treaty does not. Congress must act and close this loophole.
To avoid this eventual catastrophe, ten senators, five Republicans and 5 Democrats, have introduced a joint, bipartisan bill explicitly prohibiting the President from withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without Senate approval. It requires the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of congress to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United States from NATO.
Last year, the House of Representatives passed a similar bipartisan resolution by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 357-22.
We strongly urge you to contact your senators to ask them to cosponsor this extremely important bill, S.J.Res.4. (Title: Joint Resolution requiring the advise and Consent of Senate or an Act of Congress to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty and authorizing related litigation, and for other purposes.) You’ll find the full text of the Bill on the Internet, click Congress.gov.
You can address your letter to your Senators at U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510.You do not need the office number. Senators local addresses can be found on the Internet by searching their name.
THANK YOU!
Valdis V. Pavlovskis
Executive Vice President
February 19, 2019