The NATO Parliamentary Assembly serves as the consultative inter-parliamentary organization for the alliance, uniting NATO-member parliaments, “helping to build parliamentary and public consensus in support of alliance policies,” according to information provided by Turner’s office.
One role of the assembly is to nurture dialogue among parliamentarians on significant security issues. NATO has supported Ukraine in its defensive fight against a Russian invasion since early 2022. In recent weeks, Russia has made deeper incursions into Ukraine’s northeast, leading to calls for President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons to strike Russian territory.
Turner, R-Dayton, is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and is chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
The announcement is the fruit of relationships built for more than a decade. In January 2011, Turner was appointed chairman of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. In December 2014, he was elected president of that assembly. He now serves as vice-chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the assembly.
In 2022, Turner initiated discussions about bringing the assembly to the Gem City in May 2025 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, according to his office.
The U.S. had not hosted a NATO parliamentary session since one was held in Orlando, Fla. in the fall of 2003. The U.S. has never hosted a spring session.
Turner’s office said $2 million was included in a House fiscal year 2024 bill to support holding the assembly in Dayton, with the House Appropriations Committee approving the funding last year.
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