Allied Burden Sharing Report Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2152
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- International Affairs
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Last Updated
- 2025-07-21T20:08:58Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation requires the Secretary of Defense to submit annual reports to Congress detailing allied nations' contributions to collective defense efforts. It aims to ensure Congress receives updated information on these contributions amid evolving global threats.
Key Provisions
- Annual Reporting Requirement: The Secretary of Defense must submit a report by March 1 each year, coordinated with other federal agencies as needed, to the appropriate congressional committees.
- Report Contents: Each report must describe:
- Defense spending by listed countries, including nominal budget figures and spending as a percentage of gross domestic product for the prior fiscal year.
- Activities by those countries supporting U.S. military or stability operations under cooperative defense agreements.
- Any limitations imposed by those countries on the use of their contributions.
- U.S. or other nations' actions to reduce such limitations.
- Countries Covered: The report covers NATO members, Gulf Cooperation Council members, parties to the Rio Treaty, plus Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand.
- Report Format: Submitted in unclassified form with a possible classified annex; available upon request to any Member of Congress.
- Findings and Sense of Congress: References a 1985 law requiring similar reports and notes that threats now include near-peer competitors; urges the President to seek greater allied contributions aligned with existing treaties.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill builds on section 1003 of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1985, which already mandated annual reports on allied contributions. It updates the requirement by explicitly addressing contemporary threats beyond the global war on terror and listing specific countries for coverage. No other major alterations to prior statutes are introduced.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of Defense in data collection and coordination; may require input from other agencies.
- Citizens: Provides Congress with more detailed information for oversight of defense spending and alliances, potentially influencing U.S. policy decisions.
- International Relations: Could encourage or pressure listed allies to increase defense contributions and reduce usage restrictions, affecting diplomatic and security partnerships.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- The Secretary of Defense and relevant federal agencies responsible for report preparation.
- Congressional committees on Armed Services, Foreign Relations/Affairs, and Appropriations.
- The specified allied countries whose contributions are assessed.
- U.S. military leadership and policymakers involved in collective defense agreements.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure reinforces congressional oversight authority over executive branch reporting on foreign defense matters without apparent constitutional conflicts. It highlights ongoing political debates about equitable burden-sharing among U.S. allies under existing treaties.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN], Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- 2025-06-24: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Allied Burden Sharing Report Act — issued 2025-06-24 — PDF (5 pages)