IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 135
Affirming the nature and importance of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization and Article 5 commitments under the North Atlantic Treaty.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY13, 2025
Mr. M
EEKS(for himself, Mr. KEATING, Mr. CONNOLLY, and Mr. HOYER) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Affirming the nature and importance of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization and Article 5 commitments under
the North Atlantic Treaty.
Whereas the United States and our democratic allies and
partners face unprecedented international challenges and
evolving threats to global security;
Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
was founded on April 4, 1949, to counter Soviet expan-
sion, prevent further world wars from emerging in Eu-
rope, and develop a commitment to transatlantic security,
and is built on the democratic principles of freedom, se-
curity, and national sovereignty;
Whereas Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty underpins the
principle of ‘‘collective defense’’ and has served as a guid-
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•HRES 135 IH
ing value and commitment of United States foreign policy
for over 75 years;
Whereas United States Article 5 commitments regarding col-
lective defense augment United States deterrence capa-
bilities against adversaries such as Russia, China, and
Iran that seek to spread their malign influence;
Whereas the unifying nature of Article 5 commitments be-
tween allies create a stronger defense against threats to
our collective defense and stability of democratic states;
Whereas transatlantic cooperation through NATO serves as
a bulwark against the proliferation of malign influence,
technologies, and destabilizing operations from adver-
saries;
Whereas authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, Iran,
and North Korea have increased collaboration in political,
economic, and security sectors, sought to undermine
democratic principles, and sow distrust in democratic in-
stitutions;
Whereas in the only invocation of Article 5 of the North At-
lantic Treaty, NATO allies provided troops, intelligence,
resources, and support to United States forces following
the September 11, 2001, attacks, and NATO allies in-
curred significant casualties under NATO-led operations
in Afghanistan;
Whereas NATO has been steadfast in its support for Ukraine
in light of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with member coun-
tries providing ammunition, weapons, and significant
non-security assistance increasing Ukraine’s ability to de-
fend itself and imposing direct costs on Russia for its ille-
gal invasion of Ukraine;
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•HRES 135 IH
Whereas, following Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of
Ukraine, Finland and Sweden made the sovereign deci-
sion to accede to the NATO alliance;
Whereas NATO remains committed to addressing the sys-
temic challenges posed by China to Euro-Atlantic inter-
ests and security; and
Whereas NATO member states have continued to strengthen
and evolve capabilities in the realm of advanced defense
and cyber technologies, including through the Defense In-
novation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA)
program with the inclusion and cooperation of leading re-
searchers, and innovators: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) reaffirms full and unwavering commitment 2
to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); 3
(2) reiterates the importance of NATO and the 4
vital commitment of the United States to the alli-5
ance and to defending United States allies under Ar-6
ticle 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty; 7
(3) reaffirms NATO’s open door policy and 8
commitment to Article 10 of the North Atlantic 9
Treaty, and reaffirms that every state has the right 10
to choose its own security arrangements, including 11
Ukraine; 12
(4) remembers the thousands of NATO coali-13
tion soldiers who sacrificed their lives in support of 14
the United States following the invocation of Article 15
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•HRES 135 IH
5 after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks 1
against the United States; 2
(5) underscores the importance of all NATO al-3
lies dedicating at least 2 percent of their gross do-4
mestic product to their national defense or establish 5
plans by the Washington Summit to meet their 2 6
percent obligations; and 7
(6) highlights the importance of coordination 8
and collaboration in advanced defense technologies, 9
counter-intelligence, and cybersecurity programs 10
among NATO allies given the evolving threats posed 11
by adversaries such as Russia, China, and Iran. 12
Æ
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