Mike Levin: “This amendment, simply put, would express the Sense of the Senate that the United States should consult with all NATO…”

“This amendment, simply put, would express the Sense of the Senate that the United States should consult with all NATO member nations, subsequent to the admission of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic but prior to the consideration of any other nation for accession, concerning the desirability of establishing a mechanism to suspend the membership of a NATO member if it no longer conforms to the Alliance's fundamental principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. Mr. President, I raised this issue with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger when he testified before the Armed Services Committee on January 29th. In response to my question as to whether NATO should have a mechanism to suspend a member, Secretary Kissinger stated: I think in situations in which a government emerges incompatible with the common purpose of the Alliance, there ought to be some method, maybe along the lines you put forward.”