119-SRES346

Resolution is currently in: Senate
Passed:

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 346

Urging all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to spend a minimum of 5 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 30, 2025

Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Budd, Mr. Cornyn, and Ms. Lummis) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Whereas the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has long served as a pillar of collective security and transatlantic cooperation, ensuring stability and shared defense among member states;

Whereas President Donald J. Trump played a leading role in securing increased defense spending commitments from NATO allies to ensure the Alliance remains capable of addressing 21st-century threats;

Whereas the Hague Summit Declaration encouraged allies to allocate at least 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) to defense spending, demonstrating a commitment to sharing the burden of collective defense;

Whereas the 5 percent GDP spending commitment will be split between spending 3.5 percent on military spending and 1.5 percent on non-traditional defense spending such as infrastructure and cyber security resilience;

Whereas this target, if implemented with discipline and transparency, has the potential to significantly enhance NATO’s military readiness, deterrence posture, and ability to respond to evolving threats including cyber warfare;

Whereas the imprecise language of the Hague Agreement leaves ambiguity about the requirement of all allies reaching the 5 percent of GDP goal;

Whereas the exclusion of certain member countries from the commitment to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense undermines fidelity to the Alliance;

Whereas the commitment to spending 5 percent of GDP on verifiable defense expenditures is important to the defense of all member nations;

Whereas the inclusion of domestic infrastructure in allies’ calculations toward their 1.5 percent commitment to non-traditional defense expenditures contributes minimally to the Alliance’s ability to address external threats; and

Whereas the commitment from economies of all sizes within NATO to meet the former goal of spending 2 percent GDP on defense shows that not meeting spending commitments is a choice of will and not of circumstance: Now, therefore, be it

(1) - congratulates President Donald J. Trump and NATO leadership on the new commitment to defense investment, and commends the Alliance for its renewed focus on collective defense;

(2) - lauds NATO members who spent more than 2 percent of their GDP on defense prior to the Hague Summit;

(3) - strongly urges NATO leadership to compel members to adhere to the 5 percent GDP commitment to defense spending;

(4) - calls on all NATO allies to ensure their non-traditional defense expenditures are demonstrably aligned with legitimate defense objectives; and

(5) - reaffirms the importance of NATO and the commitment of the United States Senate to maintaining a strong, capable, and united Alliance.