A bipartisan group of US senators may have found a way to prohibit President Donald Trump from leaving NATO without Senate approval.
According to a new bill introduced by a number of senators, including Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.), the president of the United States will require the support of two-thirds of the Senate to modify or terminate US membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.
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Under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the US president “shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.”
“Just as it was required to join NATO, Senate approval should be required before this President – or any US President – can withdraw,” Senator Tim Kaine, who is a member of the Senate Armed Service and Foreign Relations committees, said in a statement.
The legislation would also authorize the Senate Legal Counsel to challenge any attempt by the president and his administration to pull out of the 29-member bloc without the Senate's approval in court.
“Regrettably, President Trump's mistreatment of our closest allies has raised doubts about America's commitment to the transatlantic alliance and the values of defense. In the future, the Senate must be prepared to defend its…
