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“NATO is a Cold War relic. We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist countries,” Massie stated.¹
The bill is officially titled the NATO Act and would require the President of the United States to notify NATO leadership of America’s withdrawal under Article 13 of the treaty.
Utah Senator Mike Lee has already introduced a companion bill in the Senate, signaling that Massie is not acting alone.
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna quickly threw her support behind the effort.
“Co-sponsoring this,” Luna wrote on X.²
Ending the Flow of Taxpayer Money to NATO Bureaucracy
Massie’s bill goes beyond symbolism. It would immediately block U.S. taxpayer funds from being used for NATO’s civil budget, military budget, and Security Investment Program.
At the core of the legislation is a simple argument. NATO’s original mission no longer fits modern American interests.
“NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed over thirty years ago,” Massie explained. “Since then, U.S. participation has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars.”³
The bill also concludes that Europe has more than enough economic and military strength to handle its own defense without Washington footing the bill.
Establishment Republicans Put on the Spot
Massie’s move puts establishment Republicans in an uncomfortable position.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker recently pushed legislation focused on deeper NATO coordination along Europe’s eastern border. Meanwhile, Senators Michael Bennet and Joni Ernst have advocated for expanded NATO air defense integration.
Critics argue that this represents the same old foreign policy mindset that prioritizes endless overseas commitments while American families struggle at home.
Massie made his position clear.
“America should not be the world’s security blanket – especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense,” Massie stated.⁴
President Trump has echoed this message for years, including during the most recent NATO summit, where he pressured member nations to commit to dramatically higher defense spending.
Why NATO’s Credibility Is Crumbling
Supporters of Massie’s bill say the facts are undeniable.
Since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, American taxpayers have spent trillions subsidizing Europe’s security. That burden has continued for over three decades despite Europe’s massive economic growth.
These are not struggling nations. Europe’s combined economy rivals that of the United States.
Yet many European governments prioritize expansive welfare states and aggressive social policies over national defense.
The contrast is hard to ignore.
England arrests women for silently praying outside abortion clinics while relying on American troops for protection. France imposed sweeping vaccine passport rules that restricted basic daily life. Germany shut down reliable nuclear energy while becoming dependent on Russian fuel.
Critics say these are not the actions of countries taking responsibility for their own survival.
NATO Expansion and Broken Promises
Massie’s bill also highlights NATO’s controversial expansion toward Russia’s borders.
“Despite its waning relevance and prior assurance to the contrary, NATO began a profound eastward expansion in 1999, which, as of 2025, culminated in a land border with the Russian Federation that exceeds 1,500 miles and encircles the Baltic Sea,” the legislation states.⁵
The bill argues that this expansion violated assurances made to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and unnecessarily escalated global tensions.
A Long Overdue Debate
George Washington famously warned against permanent foreign alliances, cautioning that they would entangle America in conflicts far from home.
For decades, Washington ignored that advice.
Massie’s NATO Act forces Congress to confront a question it has avoided for years. Should America continue paying to defend countries that refuse to defend themselves?
The bill faces tough odds in Congress, where entrenched interests still dominate foreign policy decisions.
But one thing is certain.
Thomas Massie just forced a debate the political establishment desperately hoped would never happen.
