The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is the annual legislation that specifies the budget, expenditures, and policies of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).  After several months of deliberation, the NDAA for fiscal year 2022 is expected to clear its final vote in the Senate and become law before the holidays.  The Estonian American National Council (EANC) has been tracking the bill’s progress, particularly the authorization of the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI), which was included in the FY 2022 bill by name for the first time as a separate funding description in the bill’s text.  Below is a summary of NDAA language relevant to Estonian and regional security. 

The bill contains a $150 million authorization under BSI.  While the amount is $25 million lower than the proposed $175 million introduced by House Baltic Caucus co-chairs Representatives Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Don Bacon (R-NE) in August, the mention of the initiative in the text by name marks a significant step in elevating the status of Baltic security as a U.S. priority.  Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus co-chairs Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) did their part in supporting the process to ensure that the language remained in the Senate version of the  bill. The bill states that:

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are model allies and play a critical role in strategic efforts to ensure continued deterrence against aggression by Russia and maintain the collective security of the NATO alliance. The security of the Baltic region is crucial to the security of the NATO alliance.

The United States should continue to pursue efforts consistent with the comprehensive, multi-lateral Baltic Defense Assessment of the military requirements of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania issued in December 2020. Robust support to accomplish United States strategic objectives, including by providing assistance to the Baltic countries through security cooperation referred to as the Baltic Security Initiative pursuant to sections 332 and 333 of title 10, United States Code, should be prioritized in the years to come. Specifically, the continuation of—

(A) efforts to enhance interoperability among Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and in support of NATO efforts;

(B) infrastructure and other host-country support improvements that will enhance United States and allied military mobility across the region;

(C) efforts to improve resilience to hybrid threats and cyber defenses in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania; and

(D) support for planning and budgeting efforts of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania that are regionally synchronized.

The Joint Explanatory Statement to Accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 highlights that:

[T]he United States has cumulatively allocated over $499.0 million in Department of Defense partner capacity funding for the Baltic countries since fiscal year 2018 …The Department of Defense’s comprehensive Baltic Defense Assessment issued in December 2020 reaffirmed the importance of prioritizing assistance to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania … The Congress strongly supports the continuation of such assistance.

In early 2022, EANC will be advocating for the appropriation of the authorized funds to ensure that it remains in the final version of the DoD’s budget.  We will continue to keep the Estonian American community informed of BSI’s status and facilitate constituent support in our advocacy.