House to vote on NATO resolution amid Trump criticisms

The House will vote Wednesday on a resolution expressing support for NATO and Central and Eastern European countries. 

Lawmakers will consider the measure just hours after President Trump kicked off the NATO summit in Brussels by criticizing “delinquent” allies for not spending enough money on defense and saying Germany was “captive to Russia” due to a pipeline deal.

{mosads}”Many countries are not paying what they should. And, frankly, many countries owe us a tremendous amount of money for many years back, where they’re delinquent, as far as I’m concerned, because the United States has had to pay for them,” Trump said.

The Senate already voted in favor of a motion on Tuesday supporting NATO ahead of the summit.

The House added the NATO resolution to its schedule this week. The measure was not initially included on floor guidance sent out at the beginning of the week or early Wednesday morning.

The House’s resolution, which the Foreign Affairs Committee approved by voice vote last month, calls NATO “the most important and critical security link between the United States and Europe.” 

It also says the House “supports keeping United States sanctions imposed against Russia” and says its essential for “the United States to maintain and increase political, economic, and security support for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.”

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called the long-standing alliance “indispensable,” though he said he shared Trump’s concerns that NATO allies were not contributing their fair share on defense.

“I subscribe to the view that we should not be criticizing our president while he’s overseas,” Ryan said Wednesday.

“NATO is indispensable. It is as important today as it ever has been,” the Speaker added.