{"id":42892,"date":"2018-07-27T14:41:05","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T14:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/07\/27\/bipartisan-bills-would-block-trump-from-quitting-nato-without-senates-ok\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:22:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:22:26","slug":"bipartisan-bills-would-block-trump-from-quitting-nato-without-senates-ok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2018\/07\/27\/bipartisan-bills-would-block-trump-from-quitting-nato-without-senates-ok\/","title":{"rendered":"Bipartisan bill would block Trump from quitting NATO without Senate\u2019s OK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 A bipartisan group of senators is sponsoring legislation to explicitly prohibit the president of the United States<\/a> from withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., and ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., introduced the bill Thursday. President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the trans-Atlantic alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A separate House bill would prohibit funds from being used to withdraw the U.S. from NATO. It\u2019s sponsored by California Reps. Jimmy Panetta, a Democrat, and Steve Knight, a Republican. Both sit on the House Armed Services Committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bills are the latest moves by Congress to reaffirm support for NATO in the wake of Trump\u2019s polarizing performance at a NATO summit in Brussels, where he pressed allies over burden-sharing, and following a meeting in Helsinki, Finland<\/a>, where he seemed to side with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the U.S. intelligence community\u2019s assessment Russia meddled in U.S. elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earlier this month, the Senate passed legislative language to reaffirm support of NATO that passed the Senate, 92-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRegrettably, President Trump\u2019s mistreatment of our closest allies has raised doubts about America\u2019s commitment to the transatlantic alliance and the values of defense,\u201d McCain said in a statement, adding that the bill was \u201curgently required.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the future, the Senate must be prepared to defend its constitutional role,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senate bill, if passed, would require the president to seek the advice and consent of the Senate to modify or terminate U.S. membership in NATO, and it formalizes the Senate\u2019s opposition to withdrawing from the treaty. If the president attempts to withdraw from NATO without Senate approval, this bill also authorizes the Senate legal counsel to challenge the administration in court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution declares that the president \u201cshall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t