; Whereas the Senate concurs with the following sentiments expressed in the letter of resignation submitted by Secretary Mattis to President Trump: (1) The strength of the United States is inextricably linked to the strength of our system of alliances and partnerships. (2) The United States cannot protect our interests or serve as the indispensable nation in the free world without those alliances and partnerships. (3) Maintaining that system of alliances and partnerships requires that the United States demonstrate respect for our allies. (4) While the Armed Forces of the United States cannot serve as the world’s policeman, the United States must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense, including providing effective leadership to our alliances. (5) Those alliances and partnerships have assisted the United States in increasing our national security, for example when all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations fought alongside the United States following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and when 74 nations joined the effort to defeat the threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). (6) The United States must demonstrate resolve and be unambiguous in our approach to countries whose strategic interests run counter to our own. (7) The Russian Federation and China wish to shape a world order consistent with their authoritarian model, allowing them to veto other nations’ economic, diplomatic, and security decisions, and to promote their own interests at the expense of other nations, the United States, and our allies. (8) The United States must do everything possible to advance a rules-based international order that is most conducive to our security, prosperity, and values, and our efforts in that regard are strengthened by the solidarity of our alliances. (9) United States military pressure has demonstrated considerable, but incomplete progress against global terrorist groups, particularly al Qaeda, the group responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the