Kaine, Rubio Applaud Committee Passage of Their Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Any U.S. President from Leaving NATO
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL)—both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—applauded the Committee’s passage of their bipartisan legislation to explicitly prohibit any President of the United States from withdrawing from NATO without the Senate’s advice and consent, readying the bill for a vote before the full Senate.
“The conflict in Ukraine is a powerful example of why affirming the U.S. commitment to NATO is so important for the security of the United States and our European allies,” said Kaine. “America’s commitment to NATO is absolute. This bill underscores that commitment and ensures that no President can unilaterally dissolve our bond to this invaluable alliance without Senate approval.”
“I’ve long warned of the threat posed by Russian aggression in Europe. Unfortunately, Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which, despite not being in NATO, is a critical U.S. partner, has proven these warnings to be tragically accurate,” Rubio said. “It is now more essential than ever for the United States to stand shoulder to shoulder with our NATO allies. With Ukraine under siege, it is critical to reaffirm the importance of this alliance by ensuring that no U.S. President can withdraw from NATO without the Senate’s advice and consent.”
In February, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that the organization would deploy a portion of its 40,000 troop Response Force to provide land, air, and naval assistance across its alliance following Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.
This year will mark the 73rd anniversary of the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, which established NATO.
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