I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6530 
To prohibit the use of funds to withdraw the United States from the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 25, 2018 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself and Mr. KNIGHT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition 
to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To prohibit the use of funds to withdraw the United States 
from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘No NATO Withdrawal 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that: 
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(1) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(NATO), which came into being through the North 
Atlantic Treaty, which entered into force on April 4, 
1949, between the United States of America and the 
other founding members of the North American 
Treaty Organization, has served as a pillar of inter-
national peace and stability, a critical component of 
United States security, and a deterrent against ad-
versaries and external threats. 
(2) The House of Representatives affirmed in 
H. Res. 397, on June 27, 2017, that— 
(A) ‘‘NATO is one of the most successful 
military alliances in history, deterring the out-
break of another world war, protecting the ter-
ritorial integrity of its members, and seeing the 
Cold War through to a peaceful conclusion’’; 
(B) NATO remains the foundation of 
United States foreign policy to promote a Eu-
rope that is whole, free, and at peace; 
(C) the United States is solemnly com-
mitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion’s principle of collective defense as enumer-
ated in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty; 
and 
(D) the House of Representatives— 
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(i) strongly supports the decision at 
the NATO Wales Summit in 2014 that 
each alliance member would aim to spend 
at least 2 percent of its nation’s gross do-
mestic product on defense by 2024; 
(ii) condemns any threat to the sov-
ereignty, territorial integrity, freedom and 
democracy of any NATO ally; and 
(iii) welcomes the Republic of Monte-
negro as the 29th member of the NATO 
Alliance. 
(3) On July 12, 2018, Speaker Ryan stated 
that ‘‘NATO is indispensable. It is as important 
today as it ever has been.’’. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the President shall not unilaterally with-
draw the United States from NATO; and 
(2) the case Goldwater v. Carter is not control-
ling legal precedent with respect to the unilateral 
withdrawal of the United States from a treaty. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States— 
(1) to remain a member in good standing of 
NATO; 
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(2) to reject any efforts to withdraw the United 
States from NATO, either directly or through con-
demnation of the organization; and 
(3) to continue to work with NATO members to 
ensure each country spends at least 2 percent of its 
gross domestic product on defense spending, at least 
20 percent of which should be for procurement. 
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON THE USE OF FUNDS TO WITH-
DRAW FROM NATO. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds 
are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended 
to take any action to withdraw the United States from 
the North Atlantic Treaty, done at Washington, DC on 
April 4, 1949, between the United States of America and 
the other founding members of the North American Trea-
ty Organization. 
SEC. 6. REPORT ON THE MILITARY AND SECURITY RAMI-
FICATIONS OF NATO. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 
the Secretary of Defense, in concurrence with the Sec-
retary of State, shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a report that includes each of the fol-
lowing: 
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(1) The number of NATO forces committed to 
operations in which the United States participates. 
(2) The number of NATO forces killed in the 
previous year during the course of such operations. 
(3) An assessment of the impact on United 
States readiness in the event that the Armed Forces 
were required to fill positions vacated by NATO as 
a result of the withdrawal of the United States from 
that organization. 
(4) A description of defense spending levels of 
NATO member states tracing the trajectory over the 
last five years and future projections. 
(b) FORM.—The report required by subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain 
a classified annex. 
(c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Com-
mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 
Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on 
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Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intel-
ligence of the Senate. 
Æ 
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