Executive Session

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, today, we will vote on whether or not to admit North Macedonia into NATO. I, for one, think we already have enough dead weight in NATO and that adding North Macedonia to NATO adds absolutely nothing to our collective security.

In his farewell address, George Washington stated: ``It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world.'' This was echoed by Thomas Jefferson in his inaugural address, who wished for ``peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations . . . entangling alliances with none.'' As we watch the most recent developments in Syria unfold, it is a good moment to remember the guidance that Washington and Jefferson attempted to pass along.

Turkey, a nation that we have been locked in a permanent alliance with since the Cold War, has launched an offensive, a war of choice, by further invading Syria.

While they are clearly acting in their own self-interest, their actions place our Nation one mistake or one small incident away from a hot war with at least one major global power. Does it make sense for American men and women to potentially have to defend Turkey over their war of choice?

I believe that when Jefferson spoke of entangling alliances, one could not pick a better example than how we have expanded NATO. Since 2004, we have expanded NATO ever closer to the border of Russia. In the process, we have added the so-called military might of countries such as Slovenia, Latvia, Albania, Montenegro, and now, today, North Macedonia.

What benefit is it to the United States to add countries that barely have enough military might to defend themselves? I say that adding North Macedonia to NATO adds absolutely nothing to our national security.

The best-case scenario we can hope for with these countries is that an incident that triggers a major land war never occurs. If you think this is far-fetched, remember that World War I began when a Serbian nationalist assassinated the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Within months, the very system of entangling alliances that our forefathers warned about turned Europe into a killing field, which ultimately killed upward of 19 million people. Adding yet another small country to NATO does nothing to dissipate the chances of catastrophic war and, in fact, encourages that possibility.

What military capabilities does North Macedonia bring to the table? Some 8,200 active-duty soldiers. Additionally, in 2018, they spent a whopping $120 million a year on their military. By comparison, the Chicago Cubs spent $221 million on their payroll. Additionally, 15 other Major League Baseball teams spent more on their rosters than North Macedonia spends on defense. Even if North Macedonia brought their military spending in line with NATO guidelines, it would still only be $227 million.

But if the goal of NATO is to have these countries spend 2 percent, why don't we wait until they are spending 2 percent to admit them instead of admitting them and saying: Please, increase your defense spending.

If they come up to 2 percent, they would only be spending $227 million, which is $103 million less than Bryce Harper's contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

NATO is supposed to be about mutual defense, not just blanket security guarantees to smaller states.

How much would North Macedonia give in monetary terms to NATO? Less than $1 million. We foot the bill. We pay for everything. We are going to get less than $1 million of direct contributions from North Macedonia. It doesn't seem hardly fair; does it?

It is clear that North Macedonia adds little, if any, value to the NATO alliance in terms of manpower or military capabilities, which means that the only reason they are being added is to be a tripwire that would only ensnare us in a rapidly escalating wider war in which they would not be able to carry their own weight. So I don't think North Macedonia adds anything to our national security, but they are out there on the edge of Europe as a tripwire to ensnare us in a wider war.

If the recent events involving Turkey were not enough to validate the guidance laid down by our Founding Fathers, then adding North Macedonia to a tangled network of permanent alliances certainly is. We would be wise to revisit and heed our Founding Fathers, who said getting involved in entangling alliances in Europe does not add to our security; it threatens our security.

I urge a ``no'' vote. I don't think we need to expand NATO. We certainly don't need more people that the American taxpayer will be asked to pay for.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source