S.Amdt. 2047

SA 2047. Mr. MARKEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

SEC. 12__. SENSE OF SENATE ON THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA.

It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) with respect to the alliance between the United States
and the Republic of Korea--
(A) ``we go together'' or ``katchi kapshida'' is an
enduring motto inspired by the shared sacrifice of the United
States and the Republic of Korea during the Korean War,
reinforced by our shared values and reaffirmed each time the
Republic of Korea has stood alongside the United States in
the four major wars the United States has fought outside
Korea since 1945;
(B) a transactional view of the alliance between the United
States and the Republic of Korea is contrary to the spirit of
``we go together'';
(C) 70 years since the start of the Korean War, as the
People's Republic of China escalates its aggressive behavior
in maritime and air domains and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea continues to enhance and test weapons that
threaten regional peace and security, a new strategic
environment in the Indo-Pacific region has reinforced the
importance of the alliance between the United States and the
Republic of Korea;
(D) the 2018 National Defense Strategy states that ``the
willingness of rivals to abandon aggression will depend on
their perception of. . .the vitality of our alliances and
partnerships'', and thus United States Government actions and
public statements that undermine the United States
relationship with the Republic of Korea harm United States
national security and exacerbate risks to members of the
Armed Forces and United States allies and partners; and
(E) United States alliances and troop deployments should be
based on shared principles and goals, not on the profit
motive; and
(2) with respect to nationals of the Republic of Korea who
are employees of United States Forces Korea--
(A) the United States Government should endeavor to avoid
actions that negatively affect the welfare or well-being of
such individuals;
(B) as stated by the Commander of United States Forces
Korea on March 31, 2020, the partial furlough of such
individuals was ``heartbreaking'' and ``in no way a
reflection of their performance, dedication, or conduct'';
and
(C) the United States Government should work with the
Government of the Republic of Korea to ensure that such
individuals do not bear the burden of breakdowns in
negotiations regarding defense cost-sharing.
______