Political Quotes

“the bill before us includes increased Foreign Military Financing funding to help Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania improve their militaries. The Baltic countries need to improve their military posture whether or not they join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). But the fact is that they do aspire to join NATO, and all three countries will be working to meet goals in NATO's Membership Action Plans for each country. My colleagues Senators Bingaman, Roberts, Bob Smith, and Cleland have offered an amendment that says that nothing in the bill 'should be interpreted as expressing the will of the Senate to accelerate membership of those nations into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).' However, the Senate can do nothing to invite the Baltic countries or any other aspiring country to join NATO. Only NATO can invite countries to join. When they are ready to join, and if they are invited to join, the Senate would have to vote to approve amending the NATO treaty to accept further NATO expansion. The Foreign Military Financing funding can serve to accelerate the Baltic countries' efforts to meet NATO criteria, but the decision to invite them to join NATO remains a political one that will be made by NATO's nineteen member states.”