1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to affirmatively and publicly support the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). What is at stake is not only the future of Europe, but the credibility, security, and leadership of the United States. WHY THE NATO ALLIANCE REMAINS ESSENTIAL NATO is one of the most successful defensive alliances in modern history. Its core promise, Article 5, means that an armed attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. That promise helps prevent wars before they start because adversaries know that aggression against one ally could bring a unified response. This is not charity to Europe. NATO gives the United States forward defense, intelligence cooperation, military coordination, cyber cooperation, and trusted partners in moments of crisis. Deterring war with allies is safer than facing a larger conflict after deterrence fails. WHAT IS AT STAKE Russia’s war against Ukraine, nuclear threats, cyberattacks, and pressure on NATO’s eastern flank show that the alliance is not an abstraction. If NATO is weakened, adversaries may conclude that American commitments are uncertain. That could invite miscalculation, increase the risk of war, endanger American troops, and undermine democracies that rely on the United States to keep its word. The stakes also extend beyond Europe. If the United States appears willing to retreat from NATO, allies in Asia and elsewhere will question American reliability, while adversaries will test whether our commitments still mean what they say. BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IS ESSENTIAL Support for NATO should remain a bipartisan expression of American strength. Congress should speak with clarity so allies know they can rely on us and adversaries know they cannot divide us. CONGRESS SHOULD SPEAK OUT PUBLICLY Silence from Congress can be read by allies and adversaries alike as hesitation. I ask you to speak out clearly and publicly in support of NATO, Article 5 collective defense, and continued United States leadership within the alliance. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT IS NEEDED Congress should hold hearings on the status and future of NATO. Those hearings should examine United States troop posture in Europe, alliance readiness, Russia’s continuing threat, defense investment commitments, cyber and hybrid threats, and whether existing United States law concerning NATO is being followed. STEPS NEEDED TO STRENGTHEN NATO (1) Publicly affirm strong United States support for NATO and Article 5. (2) Speak out in public forums, press statements, town halls, and committee settings to reassure allies and make clear to adversaries that America’s NATO commitment remains strong. (3) Support hearings in the relevant House and Senate committees on NATO readiness, United States force posture in Europe, Russia’s threat, and the future of the alliance. (4) Support legislation, funding, reporting requirements, and oversight tools needed to strengthen NATO, maintain credible deterrence, and prevent any unilateral weakening of America’s alliance commitments. Thank you.