President Trump should definitely sign that bill if it reaches his desk:
A bipartisan group of senators is sponsoring legislation to explicitly prohibit the president of the United States from withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval.
Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., and ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., introduced the bill Thursday. President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the trans-Atlantic alliance.
A separate House bill would prohibit funds from being used to withdraw the U.S. from NATO. It’s sponsored by California Reps. Jimmy Panetta, a Democrat, and Steve Knight, a Republican. Both sit on the House Armed Services Committee.
Yes, Trump has questioned NATO--perhaps more times than he has said that Article V is valid. Although I have protested that NATO is a national commitment indicated by its existence as a Senate-approved treaty and not reliant on verbal commitments from every new president, I think that Trump should sign either of these bills if they make it to his desk.
Because you never know when the party suddenly deeply concerned about Russia will revert to their former stance of being highly flexible for Russia and their Soviet predecessor. Lock them in now.
If President Trump signs bills reaffirming the bipartisan American commitment to NATO, he will have added to his legacy of strengthening NATO.
