FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reps. Green and Cuellar Introduce Bipartisan Allied Burden Sharing Report Act
WASHINGTON–Today, Congressman Mark Green (TN-07) and Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Allied Burden Sharing Report Act of 2021, a bill that would require the Department of Defense to provide Congress with a report on the common defense contributions of NATO countries and other defense partners.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced identical legislation in the Senate.
Green said, “A strong NATO and all our alliances are more important now than ever in the face of growing threats to our Nation from China, Russia, Iran, and dangerous non-state actors. This bill will inform Congress’ oversight as we encourage our allies to fully fund NATO and together preserve, strengthen, and expand our defense partnership against rising threats. A collective defense has been the keystone of our national security strategy for over 70 years. The goal of this legislation is to ensure that our NATO security alliance remains strong and effective in the years to come.”
“NATO is critical to providing the foundation for peace, prosperity and security across the world. However, the current cost-sharing structure puts an undue financial burden on the United States,” said Congressman Cuellar. “This legislation will increase transparency and oversight on defense spending and our return on investment on our nation’s significant financial contributions and commitments to NATO. As a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I am committed to making sure our alliances are strong and capable of addressing future threats.”
The legislation requires the Department of Defense to submit a report annually on the common defense contributions of all NATO countries—as well as on the contributions of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (Rio Treaty) signatories, and other specified countries—to the House Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees and to the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees.
Congressman Mark Green is a physician and combat veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq. He served on the mission to capture Saddam Hussein, and he interviewed Saddam Hussein for six hours on the night of his capture. He serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees.
Congressman Henry Cuellar is a senior member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Previously, he served as a Texas State Representative and Texas Secretary of State.
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