; (ii) 10,000 Department of Defense civilian employees; and (iii) 2,000 defense contractors; (B) personnel of the Department of State and other United States Government agencies; and (C) the dependents of individuals described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). (6) The United States presence in Europe, including in Germany— (A) protects and defends the United States and United States allies and partners by deterring conflict with Russia and other adversaries; (B) strengthens and supports the NATO alliance and critical partnerships in Europe; and (C) serves as an essential support platform for carrying out vital national security engagements in Afghanistan, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. (7) The deep bilateral ties between the United States and Germany have led to decades of economic prosperity for both countries and their allies and have strengthened human rights and democracy around the world. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the United States should continue to maintain and strengthen the bilateral relationship with Germany and other European allies; (2) the United States should maintain a robust military presence in Germany so as to deter further aggression from Russia or aggression from other adversaries against the United States and its allies and partners; and (3) the United States should remain committed to strong collaboration with European allies as outlined in the 2017 National Security Strategy. 3. Prohibition on use of funds to withdraw the Armed Forces from Europe (a) In general Except as provided in subsection (b), notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funds are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to take any action— (1) to withdraw or otherwise reduce the overall presence, including rotational presence, of members of the Armed Forces or civilian employees of the Department of Defense in Europe; (2) to close or otherwise change the status of any base or other facility of the Armed Forces located in Europe