Foreign Affairs and National Security
It is critical that we maintain America's role as a leader in the international community. The use of force should always be a last resort and diplomacy must be emphasized in all of our relationships around the world. As a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, I understand the importance of working with other countries to find peaceful solutions wherever possible, maintaining a focus on diplomacy, democracy, human rights, and development.
We have the best military in the world and I am dedicated to supporting our troops. It is important, however, to be realistic about our defense spending and what is truly necessary for our national security. Our spending should focus on what our military needs to keep our country safe—like investments in intelligence and cybersecurity—not what makes good politics.
We have also seen an increase in hateful rhetoric toward refugees and immigrants. We must maintain our focus on keeping our nation safe and secure, but we cannot allow discrimination to dictate our nation's policies. Any refugee seeking to come to the United States must go through an intensive and lengthy screening process. In our nation, diversity makes us stronger. With that strength we must summon our collective humanity to provide a place for refugees, many of whom are women and children, fleeing war and terrorism.
More on Foreign Affairs and National Security
PORTLAND, Ore. – After President Donald Trump met with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Tuesday in Singapore, Oregon political leaders shared their thoughts on the summit.
In the meeting, Trump and Kim committed to "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula. But, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici feel that Trump gave away too much in exchange for too little.
The U.S. agreed to halt military exercises with its ally South Korea.
In a statement, Merkley said:
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement after President Donald Trump announced that he would pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal. In the statement, Merkley called the move a mistake for enormous proportions for American safety security.
The senator said a nuclear-armed Iran would be a catastrophe, adding that the best way to prevent that would be to "not blow up the deal that is verifiably preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Lawmakers from Oregon and Washington were quick to respond after a controversial memo from the chairman of the House intelligence committee was made public.
The memo from Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of California levels a number of allegations against the FBI and the Department of Justice over their use of warrants obtained under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or FISA, specifically against Carter Page.