Internet approves of Congress bill barring any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO

WASHINGTON, DC: A wave of chaos erupted online after Congress approved legislation that forbids any president from pulling the US out of NATO without the Senate's consent or an Act of Congress.

Sens Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, teamed up to insert the clause in the $886 billion military bill that was approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday, December 14.

President Joe Biden is anticipated to sign the bill into law after the Senate approved its version on Wednesday night, according to Daily Mail.

The provision reportedly emphasizes Congress's support for the NATO alliance, which was the subject of former President Donald Trump's animosity during his time in office.

How new bill bars presidents from withdrawing from NATO?

The measure introduced by Senators Rubio and Kaine mandates that the president obtain the Senate's advice and consent prior to suspending, withdrawing, or ending American participation in NATO, a vital military alliance designed to thwart Russian aggression.

If a president attempts to leave NATO without Senate approval, or another act of Congress, the provision prohibits any funding going toward such a move.

Furthermore, this move gives the Congressional Legal Counsel permission to sue the White House. In his statement, Kaine highlighted the significance of the new bill, saying, “NATO has held strong in response to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine and rising challenges around the world.”

He added the legislation “reaffirms US support for this crucial alliance that is foundational for our national security. It also sends a strong message to authoritarians around the world that the free world remains united.”

For his part, Rubio the bill was a vital instrument for congressional supervision. “We must ensure we are protecting our national interests and protecting the security of our democratic allies,” he said in a statement, according to the Hill.

Why did Donald Trump criticize NATO?

In August, Rolling Stone reported that Trump, the front-runner for the Republican candidacy in 2024, has kept up the rhetoric of withdrawing the United States from NATO, an idea he had considered while in office but was talked out of by top aides.

The former president previously voiced concerns about Article 5, the collective defense article that entails the United States' military involvement in the event that any NATO member state is attacked.

One former official recalled to Rolling Stone that Trump argued during an Oval Office meeting in mid-2018 that most Americans hadn't even heard of some of the smaller countries.

"In a second Trump term, we'd almost certainly withdraw from NATO," Trump's former National Security Advisor John Bolton predicted in an interview with The Hill in August.

Bolton has become a Trump critic, claiming that the president was unaware of NATO's demands for defense funding. NATO nations must allocate a minimum of two percent of their GDP to defense expenditures; but in Trump's eyes, the US is owed money, which is not the case.

“The good old USA "suckers" are paying a VAST majority of the NATO bill, & outside money, going to Ukraine. VERY UNFAIR!” Trump posted to his Truth Social network in January.

Internet reacts to the new bill

A wave of chaos erupted online after Congress approved the new legislation. “Thank god I’ve been worried about that , leaving NATO would be the biggest gift to the Kremlin,” one user praised.

“Just one little problem…..Trump won’t care abt ‘law’” a second person warned. “The child-proofing of a possible Trump 2nd term has begun!” the third user mocked.

“Now that's a 'poison pill' I can support!” the fourth user said while the fifth on wrote, “They just cut Trump off right at the knees.”

“Really big day for Western Democracy, and it’s almost gone unnoticed. Well done Congress, I’m officially impressed!” one more stated.