{"id":26340,"date":"2019-01-24T20:11:46","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T20:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/01\/24\/congress-is-doing-damage-control\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:09:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:09:49","slug":"congress-is-doing-damage-control","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/opinion\/2019\/01\/24\/congress-is-doing-damage-control\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress is doing damage control"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For two years now, Congress has watched as the Trump administration shifted the message to the world about America\u2019s responsibility to allies. Republicans for the most part supported the rhetoric. They stuck with him through debates about defense spending, trade and America\u2019s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it was probably easy to rationalize. Why shouldn\u2019t the priority be America First? And why shouldn\u2019t allies pay their fair share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the devout loyalty, at least for some, seems to be dimming. Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation<\/a> seeking to bar President Donald Trump from withdrawing from NATO amid renewed concerns over his commitment to the 29-nation military pact. The fact that the bill was introduced (by a Democrat) or even passed is not a huge surprise. You might say it\u2019s part of the tit for tat that has become regular order: Trump will lambaste NATO, and Democrats will release a statement about how committed the United States is to our allies and the alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what was interesting here is the bipartisan approval \u2014 of the 357 votes for the bill, 28 were Republicans. And some of those Republicans were quite candid. \u201cIt may be a rebuke of the president or at least a rebuke of any consideration of the idea of withdrawing from NATO \u2014 but that\u2019s our frigging job,\u201d said co-sponsor of the bill Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois. \u201cIt\u2019s to have an opinion and make it known, not to be lap dogs to anybody, especially on foreign policy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth noting that this was a preemptive move. Trump had indeed threatened a break by the U.S. from NATO, but he walked it back, saying the U.S. would \u201cbe with NATO 100 percent.\u201d So why the legislation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some that did vote against the bill (22 in all) had thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\t