Sec. 1264. Extended deterrence commitment to the Asia-Pacific region
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/bill/115/hr/2810/rh/section-1264·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to extended deterrence and continued protection of the treaty allies of the United States under the United States nuclear umbrella. The United States-Republic of Korea Deterrence Strategy Committee and the United States-Japan Extended Deterrence Dialogue provide valuable communication channels for ensuring the commitment of the United States to the policy of extended nuclear deterrence and allow for bilateral discussions on how United States capabilities can be leveraged to credibly deter, and if necessary, defeat, North Korean nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction, and missile threats and aggression.
Statements by officials of the United States have consistently emphasized the United States commitment to providing extended deterrence and defense across the full spectrum of military capabilities, including nuclear capabilities. On September 9, 2016, President Obama responded to a North Korean nuclear test by issuing the following statement, I restated to President Park and Prime Minister Abe the unshakable U.S. commitment to take necessary steps to defend our allies in the region, including through our deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to the ROK, and the commitment to extended deterrence, guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. defense capabilities. .
On October 14, 2016, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the U.S. to defend both the ROK and Japan and provide extended deterrence guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. military capabilities, including conventional, nuclear, and missile defense capabilities . On October 19, 2016, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, stated, the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea is unwavering. This includes our commitment to provide extended deterrence, guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. defense capabilities.
Make no mistake: Any attack on America or our allies will not only be defeated, but any use of nuclear weapons will be met with an overwhelming and effective response. . On October 19, 2016, Secretary of State John Kerry, during a joint press conference with the South Korean Foreign Minister, confirmed the United States would defend South Korea through a robust combined defense posture and through extended deterrence, including the US nuclear umbrella, conventional strike and missile defense capabilities. .
On February 3, 2017, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, during a visit to South Korea, stated, America’s commitments to defending our allies and to upholding our extended deterrence guarantees remain ironclad: Any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons would be met with a response that would be effective and overwhelming. . It is the sense of Congress that— the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan must remain a top priority for the administration; the United States maintains an unwavering and steadfast commitment to the policy of extended deterrence, especially with respect to South Korea and Japan; bilateral extended deterrence dialogues and discussions with South Korea and Japan are of great value to the United States and its partners and must remain a central component of these relationships; the United States must sustain and modernize current United States nuclear capabilities to ensure the extended deterrence commitments of the United States remain credible and executable; and the timely development, production, and deployment of modern nuclear-capable aircraft are fundamental to ensure that the United States remains able to meet extended deterrence requirements in the Asia-Pacific region far into the future.
Nothing in this section may be construed to alter the shared goal of the United States, South Korea, and Japan for a denuclearized Korean Peninsula or to change the United States nuclear posture in the Asia-Pacific region.