Foreign Affairs

ABOVE: Tammy holds a press conference while in Israel as part of a congressional delegation.

Topics:

America's Role in the World
Afghanistan
Iran
Iraq
Middle East
Trade Agreements

America's Role in the World

Our role and leadership in the world matters: America is the lone superpower in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Along with that awesome and unprecedented power comes responsibilities to humankind and to the planet itself. America’s reason for maintaining her superpower status must be to export the best of our democratic system of governance and the hope of the American Dream to the rest of the world. But these cherished ideals can’t be exported through force. We must teach and lead by example.

We must recognize that many of the challenges we face as a nation are global in nature, and that America cannot run from those challenges, nor can we tackle them alone. Teaching by example means modeling the behaviors we want others to emulate. We must respect the rule of law. We must respect civil rights and liberties and we must advance equality of opportunity.

If we want other nations to work cooperatively to address our world’s threats, challenges and conflicts, we must do the same. We must build up institutions that draw on the input and resources of all nations to solve our global problems. We must act collaboratively.

Afghanistan

Since 2001, over 2 million Americans have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, nearly 2,000 American servicemembers have died, and tens of thousands more have suffered severe, life altering injuries. We are all in the immense debt of our brave and devoted servicemembers. These men and women deserve a clear mission that is worthy of their sacrifices. However, they are increasingly called upon to perform duties that were not included in the 2001 authorization of the use of force.

In addition to the lack of a clear mission, I am concerned about the financial strain the war in Afghanistan is putting on our country. To date the war has cost the American people over $500 billion. In the face of our current federal deficit, we simply cannot afford to pay for these open-ended military operations. For these reasons, I believe it is time to bring our troops home now.

Iran

No country poses a greater threat to Middle East peace and stability than Iran. Iran is a major state sponsor of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, which exercises significant control over the government of Lebanon, and Hamas, which hoperates in the Gaza strip. Iran has an active nuclear program and has abrogated its treaty obligations by operating in secret and closing off its nuclear facilities from international monitoring and inspection. As we move forward, I believe that the U.S. should pursue sanctions focused narrowly on undermining the ruling regime. We should do all we can to support those Iranians seeking regime change from within, by insuring that our sanctions do not target innocent citizens, many of whom seek freedom, democracy and peace.

Iraq

I have continually opposed U.S. military action against Iraq and worked to bring this unjustified war to an end. When President Bush began making his case for invading Iraq, I was one of the first Members of Congress to declare my opposition. As a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I will continually support policies to redeploy U.S. troops and continue to call on the Obama Administration to work to establish policies that support and request the sovereignty of the Iraqi people and reestablish America's international credibility.

Middle East

From the time of the establishment of the modern Jewish state in 1948, the United States and Israel have shared a special bond, grounded in our mutual commitment to democracy, freedom, respect for the rule of law, and the quest for a secure and stable Middle East.

I believe direct talks between Israelis and the Palestinian people represent the best path to a true and lasting peace. I strongly support a two state solution and believe that such a framework is necessary for regional peace and stability. One of the foundations for any agreement must be the recognition that Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state within safe and secure borders. The U.S. should continue to play a leadership role in fostering negotiations between parties.

Trade Agreements

During these uncertain economic times, it is more important than ever that Congress focus on putting our nation back to work and preserving American jobs. I believe it is crucial for our nation’s future to retain our manufacturing and high-skilled technology industries. When done right, trade agreements can help bolster these industries and create jobs as they increase exports and help our economy recover. But done wrong, trade agreements send those same jobs off-shore, leaving American workers worse off.

In recent years, our nation has entered into free trade agreements without taking the necessary care to assess the impact on our own workforce and the impact on the welfare of the population and environment of the foreign countries. I opposed these trade agreements in order to support a strong and healthy American manufacturing sector.