No NATO Withdrawal Act
On Wednesday, July 27, 2018, Congressman Steve Knight, along with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), co-introduced H.R. 6530. This bill, the No NATO Withdrawal Act, reaffirms Congressional support for the North American Treaty Organization, and works toward strengthening the alliance.
The bill stops any federal funds from being used to withdraw from NATO, and commits the United States as a member in good standing with its allies. Furthermore, the bill directs NATO to work toward the 2014 goal of securing two percent of each member nation’s gross domestic product for mutual defense.
“I am proud to defend NATO and the shared values of its members,” Knight said.
“Russia has undermined sovereignty and threatened our democratic allies in Western Europe. I support our NATO partners as they address these security concerns and work toward a peaceful future.”
Created in the aftermath of World War II, the NATO alliance has been a pillar of American foreign policy for nearly seventy years. Since its charter, this alliance has helped secure peace and prosperity among Western nations, and will continue to shape international relations for years.
During the Cold War, this democratic alliance stood in contrast to the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, America’s commitment to NATO has been the bedrock of its unipolar influence in the world. Even as the United States secured this leadership role, NATO proved essential to domestic security; invoking the treaty’s mutual defense clause for the first time on behalf of the United States in the wake of September 11, 2001.
Today, NATO is an important feature of our national security apparatus. The United States, in the wake of affronts from Russia, has worked with its allies to encourage foreign investment in mutual defense. Congressman Knight’s bill helps continue this process, and reaffirms the United States’s commitment to NATO amid increasing uncertainty.
