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Floor Speech

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Ms. ERNST. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleagues, especially Senators Shaheen and Tillis, for leading an incredibly successful congressional delegation to the NATO summit. I want to thank them, as well, for organizing the colloquy today.

I join them in enthusiastically endorsing Finland and Sweden's accession into NATO. Both nations have representative governments accountable to their people. They conduct extensive commerce and trade with our great United States, and, broadly, they share many of our values.

Historically, perhaps these were conditions sufficient to readily welcome two European nations into one of our multinational security frameworks, but today, given the increasingly complex threats our adversaries are imposing on the homeland, protecting American security and prosperity demands partners who are capable of sharing NATO's manpower and resource burdens.

NATO isn't a club of democracies or a playground for exploring climate change or progressive cultural interests. It is a military alliance that is assembled to deter our adversaries from wreaking havoc on our partners and against our own homeland.

Today, the United States is the unquestioned and undisputed leader of not just NATO, but continues to lead the global coalition containing and destroying terrorist operations in the Middle East and in Africa. Beyond Europe and the Middle East, the United States must--and I will repeat that--must lead a coalition to deter China's looming imperial expansion around the world and potential takeover of Taiwan and our other partners in the Indo-Pacific.

The United States has the greatest military on the face of the planet, and the American people's support of our Armed Forces is unwavering.

Still, our Commander in Chief, our diplomatic and military leadership, and Members of the Senate must hold our partners accountable to their own defense and not lean on the reach and lethality of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians alone.

Going forward, NATO member countries must invest in their own defense. Two percent must be a minimum standard. Longstanding members of the alliance remain far too lax and sometimes neglectful of their obligations to the alliance and to their people. America is not the world's policemen, but we are the leader of the free world and this alliance. And Finland and Sweden are on target regarding their 2- percent commitment.

I am confident that Finland and Sweden are ready to stand up and help shoulder the resource burden on NATO's military obligations in Europe, particularly following Russia's bloody, lawless invasion of Ukraine.

The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO is a great success, but regarding the war raging in Ukraine today, on day 140 of this conflict, the U.S. cannot grow weary. Our resolve to support our partner must carry on. China is watching. The Gulf States, South America, and Africa are weighing their commitment to the free world against the economic and security guarantees on the table from our adversaries.

Our national defense capacity diminishes the more our adversaries, from the Taliban to Iran's cluster of violent extremist organizations, to Vladimir Putin, to the Chinese Communist Party, can call our bluff and see if we cannot bear the cost of achieving our goals.

We must remain steady and strong. This administration and our partners in NATO must change their strategy to deliver Ukraine victory over Putin's Russia, and that is why Sweden and Finland will be a much welcomed addition to NATO.

Again, I thank my colleagues for organizing this colloquy, and I urge this body to move very quickly to confirm the U.S. support of Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO.

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