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The Senate Resolution on NATO Expansion
April 1998
The Senate Resolution on NATO Expansion
On April 30, the Senate gave its advice and consent to the ratification of three protocols on the accession to NATO of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic by a vote of 80-19. (See pp. 20-21.) During the floor debate, the Senate considered over a dozen amendments; nine were defeated in floor votes while two were approved. The resolution of ratification contains nine declarations, ranging from reaffirming the importance of NATO to setting guidelines for consideration of future members, and a number of "conditions that are binding upon the president."
Included in the conditions of Senate approval are: requirements that NATO's Strategic Concept retain the same core concepts formulated in 1991; several presidential certifications that Russia will not have a vote on NATO decisions; a freeze on the U.S. contribution to NATO common-funded budgets; and a limit on the U.S. share of future budgets. The following is the complete text of the resolution of ratification.