GOP lawmaker says US has spent trillions defending ‘socialist countries’, now he wants out of a decades-old alliance

Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie introduced a bill in the House on Tuesday to pull the United States out of NATO. He says the alliance is outdated and costs American taxpayers too much money. The bill, called HR 6508, matches a similar one that Republican Senator Mike Lee from Utah introduced in the Senate earlier this year.

According to Fox News, Massie has been speaking out more about his “America only” beliefs. He thinks the US should stop acting as the world’s security guard and financial backup. On X, he said: “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 HR 6508 to end our NATO membership.”

Massie claims US involvement in NATO has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars since it started. With the national debt growing, he sees this as a serious problem. He also worries that staying in NATO keeps pulling America into foreign wars, which the Founding Fathers warned against.

America shouldn’t be the world’s security blanket anymore

In a press release, Massie said “America should not be the world’s security blanket.” He pointed out that many rich countries in NATO refuse to pay their fair share for defense, leaving the US to cover most costs. This message connects with people who think America takes on too many international responsibilities.

Massie’s bill is getting support in the House. Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna from Florida announced she’s co-sponsoring it. This follows Senator Lee’s Senate version, which he named the “Not a Trusted Organization Act” or the “NATO Act.” As GOP senators continue abandoning controversial nominees, Massie’s push shows growing divisions within the party over foreign policy.

The lawmakers are using NATO’s own rules to leave. The North Atlantic Treaty has Article 13, which lets any member leave one year after giving official notice. Massie and Lee’s bill uses this legal exit to remove the US from NATO completely.

The bill’s language is very clear and direct. It says within 30 days of becoming law, President Trump must give official notice to leave NATO. This would start a one-year countdown for US withdrawal. Trump has been focused on various policy initiatives, including how states should regulate AI technology, but this NATO bill would require his direct action.

The bill also stops all funding immediately. No government money could be used for NATO’s shared budgets, including the civil budget, military budget, and Security Investment Program. If passed, funding would stop right away, even during the one-year waiting period. Massie and Trump don’t always agree, and Trump wants him out of Congress, but both question whether NATO is still valuable for America.