Part D amendment No. 8 offered by Mr. Frank of Massachusetts and Mr. Sisisky:

At the end of title XII (page 253, after line 3), insert the following new section:

SEC. 1206. LIMITATION ON PAYMENTS FOR COST OF NATO EXPANSION.

(a) The amount spent by the United States as its share of the total cost to North Atlantic Treaty Organization member nations of the admission of new member nations to the North American Treaty Organization may not exceed 10 percent of the cost of expansion or a total of $2,000,000,000, whichever is less, for fiscal years 1999 through 2011.

(b) If at any time during the period specified in subsection (a), the United States' share of the total cost of expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization exceeds 10 percent, no further United States funds may be expended for the costs of such expansion until that percentage is reduced to below 10 percent.

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Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the ranking minority member yielding me the time. I appreciate the support on this I am getting, not just from the chairman and the ranking minority member, but from the gentleman from Virginia who has been an active proponent.

Last year we passed overwhelmingly, unanimously, an amendment that said the United States will not spend more than $200 million per year for our share of the cost of NATO expansion. NATO expansion is one thing. But an American subsidy of France and Germany and England and Italy and Scandinavia and the Benelux countries is quite another. We have a continuing problem.

Our wealthy, powerful European allies, who do not themselves face serious threats, have gotten so used to the American taxpayer picking up the tab for the common defense that they do not make a contribution. Part of the objection to NATO was an objection over an excessive contribution from Americans. We in this amendment take what the State Department and Defense Department told us it would cost and we say that will be the maximum.

Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Chairman, I would say the gentleman is absolutely correct. It is a good amendment. We all should support it.

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman because this may become a dispute between this body and the Senate, and I hope we will have our conferees standing firm for the American taxpayer if the Senate tries to kill it.