Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,
The Senate on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a resolution approving Sweden and Finland’s bids for NATO membership, demonstrating the bipartisan consensus on expanding the military alliance further on Russia’s border.
The measure passed the Senate in a vote of 95-1-1, with only Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) voting "no," and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) voting "present."
In an op-ed published in The National Interest, Hawley explained that he was against expanding NATO into Sweden and Finland because he believes the US should be expanding its military resources into the Asia Pacific to counter China.
An amendment that Paul tried to add to the resolution would have emphasized that Article 5, NATO’s mutual defense clause, does not supersede congressional authorization for war. But the amendment failed in a vote of 10-87.
The Senate vote was needed to ratify US approval for Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance. All 30 NATO members need to approve the Nordic nations’ memberships, and according to The Hill, the Senate vote makes the US the 20th country to do so.
In July, the House voted on a resolution supporting Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids that passed in a vote of 394-18, with only Republicans voting against the measure.
Hawley: The Senate will vote today on whether to expand NATO by admitting Sweden and Finland. I intend to vote No and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.. pic.twitter.com/86z1IOAeH0
— Acyn (@Acyn) August 3, 2022
"Finland and Sweden want to expand NATO because it is in their national security interest to do so—and fair enough," Hawley said addressing the House.
"The question that should properly be before us, however, is: is it in the United States' interest to do so? Because that is what American foreign policy is supposed to be about, I thought."
Hawley's now viral speech arguing 'America first' was met in the usual quarters with charges of sympathies with Russia and the "alt-right"...
Tankies that love Russia are just as bad as the alt-right and hard right. @GeoffYoung4KY is a traitor. https://t.co/5EU32lrd2Z
— Louise Mensch 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@LouiseMensch) August 4, 2022
Your allegiance to Russia shows when you are a no vote on Sweden and Finland joining NATO.
— Love and Lemonade ❤️ 🍋 (@DavidEmmerson_D) August 4, 2022
Paul and Hawley are pathetic humans, once again. Traitors.
Hawley, translated: I intend to vote No because Putin told me to. https://t.co/F6jqR0sB2C
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) August 3, 2022
Turkey is the only NATO member that has said its legislature might block Sweden and Finland from joining the alliance.
Ankara initially blocked the Nordic countries from applying but lifted
the objection after signing a memorandum at the NATO summit in June.
The only no vote came from Hawley while Rand Paul voted present. The near-universal Republican support was a repudiation of Trump's hostility to NATO.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) August 3, 2022
Turkey accused Sweden and Finland of supporting the PKK, a Kurdish militant group Ankara considers a terrorist organization. Under the memorandum, the two Nordic nations agreed to respond to Turkey’s extradition request for suspected PKK members and other alleged "terrorists."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the Turkish parliament could block Sweden and Finland’s NATO bids if they don’t comply.
