Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) formally introduced legislation Wednesday to pull the United States out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), labeling the long-standing alliance a “Cold War relic” that drains American resources to defend “socialist countries.”
The bill, titled the NATO Act—which the text specifies may also be cited as the “Not A Trusted Organization Act”—seeks to trigger Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty. If enacted, it would require the President to formally notify the alliance of the United States’ intent to withdraw.
READ: Inferno Under The Overpass: Electric School Bus Erupts Into Flames In California
“NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over thirty years ago,” Massie said in a statement accompanying the bill’s introduction. “Since then, U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars.”
Massie argues that the geopolitical landscape has shifted fundamentally since 1949. The legislation includes a list of congressional findings asserting that NATO’s original purpose dissolved alongside the Warsaw Pact in 1991. The bill contends that despite assurances given to Soviet leaders that NATO would not expand eastward, the alliance’s growth has encircled the Baltic Sea and now shares a 1,500-mile border with Russia.
The text of HR 6508 explicitly references a 2007 speech by Vladimir Putin and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, suggesting that the alliance’s expansion has been viewed by Russia as a “serious provocation.”
READ: Bessent Blasts Blue States That Refuse To Follow Trump’s Lead On No Tax On Tips, Overtime
Beyond the geopolitical arguments, Massie’s legislation focuses heavily on the financial burden. The bill claims that wealthy European nations have the economic and military capacity to handle their own defense but are “disincentivized” from doing so while the U.S. subsidizes their security.
“America should not be the world’s security blanket—especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense,” Massie stated.
The findings section of the bill notes that nearly one-third of NATO members still fail to meet the “Wales Pledge,” a 2014 commitment to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense.
Key provisions of HR 6508 include:
- Mandatory Withdrawal: The President must give notice of denunciation of the treaty no later than 30 days after the act is enacted.
- Defunding: The bill prohibits any U.S. funds from being used to pay for NATO’s common budgets, including the civil budget, military budget, or the Security Investment Program.
- Legal Override: The bill explicitly overrides Section 1250A of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024, which was designed to prevent a President from withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval.
Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate, identified as S. 2174.
The bill has been referred to the appropriate House committee for consideration.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
