Foreign Policy
The United States is a beacon of hope and democracy in the world. We have a responsibility to exercise responsible foreign policy that protects American interests and promotes American ideals abroad.
Israel: Israel is a critical ally and a strong friend to the United States. Intelligence sharing between our nations has been a crucial part of the War on Terror and has saved countless lives. As the only democracy in a volatile region, Israel has a military strength that remains vital to protecting representative government, free speech, human rights, and freedom of religion.
I support policies that strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship and have actively worked to that end. In the 113th Congress, legislation I authored to bolster Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME) through increased review became law as part of a larger pro-Israel package.
Iran: I believe that continued sanctions against Iran are crucial to promoting security and stability in the Middle East. Iran’s continued disregard for its regional neighbors, threats towards Israel, and open hostility to Americans demonstrates that the Iranian regime should receive no leeway to further develop its nuclear programs and must be carefully monitored.
The short-sighted Iran Deal placed the safety of Americans and our allies at risk. In 2017, I voted for and the president signed the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, which imposed further sanctions against Iranian ballistic missile or weapons of mass destruction programs, the sale or transfer to Iran of military equipment, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Congress has a responsibility to ensure the safety of Americans and to protect our interests here and abroad. America must remain steadfast in its support for Israel and opposition to a nuclear Iran.
North Korea: The North Korean regime remains a destabilizing force. Its leadership has committed human rights abuse after abuse and pursues nuclear weapon development with aggression and abandon. The government has launched numerous test missiles and wrongly imprisoned several foreign citizens, including Americans.
I have advocated for numerous pieces of legislation aimed at further sanctioning the country in response to its belligerence. In the 115th Congress, the Korea Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act passed the House with my support and would strengthen our legislative efforts to end North Korea's aggression and human rights abuses while supporting America’s national security interests.
I also supported the House passage of the North Korea State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act and a resolution condemning North Korea's development of multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Russia: In the international community, Russia is a perennial bad actor. The Russian government has a history of strictly limiting the civil liberties and political rights of its people—a practice that stands in stark contrast to our American values of freedom and openness.
Economic sanctions are an important tool for the international community to utilize when governments become threats to their own citizens or those of neighboring countries. Modern U.S. sanctions against Russia were established in 2012 and led to Russia’s current ban on allowing American families to adopt Russian orphans. I have consistently worked to reopen this diplomatic channel in order to reunite loving families in America with their adopted children in Russia.
Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and intervention in Ukraine, the U.S. and other Western nations targeted individuals and businesses in Russia with additional sanctions.
In 2017 and with my support, the House passed and the president signed the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act, which imposes sanctions on certain Russian activities impacting cyber security, crude oil projects, financial institutions, corruption, human rights abuses, evasion of previously enacted sanctions, transactions with Russian defense or intelligence agencies, export pipelines, privatization of state-owned assets by government officials, and arms transfers to Syria.