Washington, D.C.- Today, Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced HR 6508, the NATO Act, to remove the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“NATO is a Cold War relic. We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries,” said Rep. Thomas Massie. “NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over thirty years ago. Since then, U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars. Our Constitution did not authorize permanent foreign entanglements, something our Founding Fathers explicitly warned us against. America should not be the world’s security blanket—especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense.”

The NATO Act:

- Requires the President to formally notify NATO of U.S. withdrawal under Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

- Concludes that NATO’s original Cold War purpose no longer aligns with current U.S. national security interests.

- Finds that European NATO members have adequate economic and military capacity to provide for their own defense. 

- Prevents use of U.S. taxpayer funds for NATO’s common budgets, including its civil budget, military budget, and the Security Investment Program.

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced companion legislation, S.2174, in the United States Senate.

U.S. Congressman Thomas Massie, known for being a Libertarian and a hardcore minarchist, says that it's time to United States to leave North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), introducing a bill to enact US withdrawal from the Alliance, accusing European Union countries of being Socialists

"NATO is a Cold War relic... "

According to the document, NATO "no longer aligns with current US national security interests."

It is not clear yet when the US House of Representatives may consider the bill. Before its review, the document should get approval from the relevant House committees.

Republican Massie has previously opposed US interference in the affairs of other countries and Washington’s use of force. In particular, he criticized US strikes on Iranian facilities on June 22 as a breach of the American Constitution. US President Donald Trump lashed out at Massie over these statements. He also said that he would support Massie’s rival in the Republican Party’s primary election contest.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established in 1949. The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, DC on April 4, 1949 by the foreign ministers of 12 countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.

NATO has had 10 waves of enlargement, including three in the Cold War period (1952, 1955 and 1982) and seven after its end (1999, 2004, 2009, 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2024). Today NATO comprises 32 member states.

Against the backdrop, NATO member nations do not have a plan of action in the event of a US withdrawal from the military alliance, Politico reported, citing sources.

According to the news outlet, diplomats within the bloc view the signals coming from Washington not as preparation for concrete steps, but rather as an indication to the EU that the US is shifting its foreign policy focus toward Asia and the Arctic.

An unnamed alliance diplomat said NATO cannot plan for a future without its largest partner, the United States, because "that would defeat the very purpose of NATO."

The text of the NATO Act is available at this link. 

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