Issue Position: Foreign Policy and Defense

Issue Position

A nation's foreign policy is of critical importance because it determines how that nation interacts with the rest of the planet. American foreign policy should emphasize our role as a force for global peace and stability and as an exemplar of democratic values. This has required a dramatic recalibration of our approach to foreign policy and global leadership -- from the previous administration's largely unilateral approach to one in which our government works in collaboration with the rest of the world on challenges that are truly global in nature.

My foreign policy involvements during my years in Congress have ranged from providing direct start-up assistance to the democratic parliaments emerging from Communism in post-Soviet Central and Eastern Europe, to efforts aimed at promoting a just and lasting settlement between Israel and its neighbors (see Middle East Peace). After opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning, I worked to build support in Congress for an orderly redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq, combined with a robust diplomatic initiative to bring about long-term stability in the Middle East. I support the relentless pursuit of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, including by finishing our important work in Afghanistan.

I have spearheaded a successful effort to improve transparency and accountability in the use of private military contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan through my legislation to bring such contractors under U.S. law and to set basic standards for contracting.

In addition, I serve as Co-Chair of the House Democracy Partnership, which works to strengthen legislative institutions in developing democracies around the world. Our current partner countries include: Afghanistan, East Timor, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Liberia, Macedonia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru and Ukraine.

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