III 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 344 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 14, 2023 Mr. Kennedy (for himself and Mr. Manchin ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations RESOLUTION Urging all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to spend a minimum of 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.

Whereas, in 2006, member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (commonly known as NATO ) first agreed to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense; Whereas, in 2014 at the NATO Summit in Wales, all member countries once again committed to maintain or move toward meeting the 2-percent defense spending minimum within 10 years; Whereas, by 2022, only 11 member countries met the 2-percent minimum, including the United States and the United Kingdom, which were the only 2 major economies; Whereas many member countries issued statements pledging to meet the 2-percent minimum following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, yet many member countries are projected to not reach the minimum until as late as 2035; and Whereas, despite increased spending by some member countries, the United States, which accounts for more than 50 percent of the combined gross domestic product of NATO, ultimately pays 70 percent of the combined defense expenditures of NATO: Now, therefore, be it