Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Mike Lee have introduced companion bills to formally end U.S. membership in NATO, arguing that the alliance’s Cold War purpose no longer reflects America’s national interests or constitutional principles.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Tuesday introduced legislation—H.R. 6508, the NATO Act—to direct the United States to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, calling the alliance “a Cold War relic” that has outlived its purpose. A companion bill was filed in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).
Massie said the measure would “restore constitutional restraint” to U.S. foreign policy and end taxpayer funding for what he described as a costly and outdated military structure. “We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries,” Massie said in a statement. “U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars. America should not be the world’s security blanket—especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense.”
Posting on X, Massie wrote, “NATO is a Cold War relic. The United States should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our country, not socialist countries. Today, I introduced H.R. 6508 to end our NATO membership.”
The proposed NATO Act would:
- Require the president to formally notify NATO of U.S. withdrawal under Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
- Declare that NATO’s founding mission to counter the Soviet Union no longer aligns with U.S. national security needs.
- Find that European members possess sufficient economic and military capacity for self-defense.
- Prohibit use of U.S. taxpayer funds for NATO’s common budgets, including its civil, military, and security investment programs.
Massie said the Constitution “did not authorize permanent foreign entanglements—something our Founding Fathers explicitly warned us against.” The full text of the bill is available here.
Sen. Lee’s companion legislation, S.2174, mirrors Massie’s proposal and reinforces their shared stance that the United States should end what they see as an open-ended commitment to defend other nations at its own expense.
Under President Donald Trump’s leadership, NATO members agreed this year to gradually raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, a sharp increase from the longstanding 2% guideline. Trump has repeatedly urged European allies to contribute more, warning that the U.S. would no longer subsidize their security indefinitely.
European leaders, once dismissive of Trump’s demands, have since embraced higher spending targets amid heightened concerns over Russia’s military posture. Moscow has consistently denied Western claims of expansionist ambitions, though U.S. and EU officials continue to portray Russian President Vladimir Putin as seeking to revive Soviet-era power.
While the measure faces long odds in Congress, it underscores growing skepticism among some lawmakers toward international military alliances that they view as outdated, expensive, and misaligned with America’s current priorities.
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