• About Us
  • Who Are We
  • Work With Us
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Globe Post
39 °f
New York
44 ° Fri
46 ° Sat
40 ° Sun
41 ° Mon
No Result
View All Result
The Globe Post
No Result
View All Result
Home National

An Unlikely Bipartisan Alliance is Seeking to Reshape US Foreign Policy

Bryan Bowman by Bryan Bowman
11/16/18
in National
Bernie Sanders Rand Paul

Left: Senator Berine Sanders, Right: Senator Rand Paul. Photos: AFP

320
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

While partisan polarization in Congress has reached the highest levels in American history, an unlikely bipartisan alliance on foreign policy is beginning to take shape and have an impact on Capitol Hill.

In recent years, progressive Democratic lawmakers and libertarian-leaning conservatives have begun to team up in an effort to reassert the role of Congress in foreign policy and advocate restraint in matters of war and peace.

Republican representatives like Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Ken Buck and Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Ro Khanna are amongst those seeking to play a greater role in shaping U.S. foreign policy from the legislature.

While prior proposals from these officials – like a 2017 resolution from Paul and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy to block an arms sale to Saudi Arabia – have failed, there are signs that the alliance is beginning to have an impact and could be a force to be reckoned with in the near future.

Denied Vote

On Wednesday evening, House Republican leaders denied a vote on a resolution from Khanna seeking to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen by attaching the resolution to a separate vote about hunting wolves.

“They said if you wanted to hunt wolves – if you wanted to be for the hunting of wolves – then vote yes. And at the same time, you’re going to de-privilege this resolution,” Khanna told reporters at a foreign policy conference sponsored by the American Conservative Thursday.

Khanna pointed out that 15 Republican Congressmen broke from leadership and opposed the measure. He argued Republican leaders knew that his resolution would likely pass if a vote were allowed, forcing them to resort to a coy legislative trick.

“They know the public opinion – even in their own body – is changing and they didn’t allow us to have a fair vote,” Khanna told Democracy Now Thursday. “This is why people hate Congress … We’ve never seen those kinds of shenanigans with a war powers resolution.”

It’s shameful that @SpeakerRyan and House Republicans denied Congress the chance to do our constitutional duty while millions of lives are at stake in Yemen. History will remember this abdication of duty. pic.twitter.com/HwURmGwjk3

— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) November 14, 2018

According to Khanna, the leadership’s refusal to allow a vote on his resolution is indicative of a broader failure from lawmakers to carry out their constitutional duty related to war powers.

“They’re not just hurting children in Yemen, they’re undermining their own role as members of Congress,” he said.

War Powers

Article 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Despite engaging in dozens of armed conflicts since World War II, Congress has not declared war since then, allowing the executive branch to decide where and when the U.S. military engages in conflicts.

Today, U.S. forces are engaged to some degree – directly or indirectly – in wars in countries ranging from Afghanistan and Syria to Somalia and Niger.

Congress has not directly authorized American involvement in any of these conflicts.

Instead, presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump have relied on the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force – a vague resolution giving the president authority to use military force against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks and any “associated forces” – to justify U.S. involvement in the conflicts.

But representatives from both parties like Khanna and Paul have been increasingly critical of their colleagues for not doing more and abdicating their responsibility to decide when the U.S. goes to war.

“I remind [my colleagues] of what [James] Madison said … that the executive branch is most prone to war and therefore, with studied care, we vested that power in the legislature,” Paul said during remarks at the American Conservative conference Thursday.

“Most of the power has been voluntarily given up to the president. But there is a resurgence and there is a bit of a right-left coming together on this.”

Also speaking at the American Conservative conference, Congressman Buck called out the leadership of his own party for backing away from making tough but important decisions on foreign policy.

“The problem is that the Republicans over the last four years, while I’ve been in Congress, were more concerned about keeping the majority and avoiding tough votes,” he said.

Paul criticized the leadership of both parties for being increasingly hawkish on other matters of foreign policy, such as sanctions against countries like Iran and Russia.

“You look at the foreign relations committee – the Republicans are hardliners. You look at the top people on the Democratic side – they’re hardliners,” Paul said. “If you go down the seniority chain, you get some more realistic views on both sides.”

Paul expressed optimism that the next Congress – which will be seated on January 3 – will have greater success exerting influence on foreign policy, saying the growing bipartisan cooperation  “leaves room for encouragement.”

And while Khanna’s resolution on the war in Yemen will not get a vote before the new Congress is seated, he said he is hopeful that Paul will take up the matter in the Senate with Democrats like Sanders before then.

Over 7Mln Yemeni Children Face ‘Serious’ Famine Threat [UN]

Share320Tweet
Bryan Bowman

Bryan Bowman

Email Bryan at bryan.bowman@theglobepost.com or follow him on Twitter @TGPBryanBowman

Related Posts

Republican Senator from Kentucky Rand Paul addresses the 2015 Conservative Policy Summit at the Heritage Foundation.
Opinion

Senator Paul’s Skepticism of Experts Sets a Very Dangerous Precedent

by Edward C. Halperin
July 13, 2020
Democratic presidential hopeful Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters at a campaign rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 3, 2019
Opinion

What Progressives Can Learn from Bernie Sanders’ Campaign

by Peter Bloom
March 27, 2020
US voters at a polling station
National

Democratic Primary Proceeds in 3 States Despite Virus Pandemic

by Staff Writer
March 17, 2020
Global stock markets plunged as growing fears of the coronavirus wreak havoc on the economy
National

Democrats Propose Sending 200 Million Americans Monthly Checks Amid Pandemic

by Bryan Bowman
March 13, 2020
US Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at "The People's Summit" in Chicago, June 10, 2017.
National

Sanders Says Still in White House Fight, Will Pressure Biden on Key Issues

by Bryan Bowman
March 11, 2020
Former US Vice President Joe Biden attends a rally with striking workers in Dorchester Massachusetts, April 2019.
National

New Race: Bloomberg Suspends Campaign, Endorses Resurgent Biden After Super Tuesday

by Staff Writer
March 4, 2020
Next Post
Rohingya refugees

Stalled Repatriation Brings Relief but Not a Solution for Rohingya Refugees

A demonstrator dressed as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) with blood on his hands protests outside the Saudi embassy in Washington, DC after Khashoggi went missing.

US Made No 'Final Conclusion' on Khashoggi Killing, State Dept Says

Recommended

A noose is seen on makeshift gallows as supporters of US President Donald Trump gather on the West side of the US Capitol in Washington DC on January 6, 2021

Militia Leader Gets 18 Years in Prison Over US Capitol Attack

May 26, 2023
Customers queue to enter a re-opened Zara clothes shop

EU Targets Fast Fashion in Push for Durable Goods

May 23, 2023
A billboard showing the debt limit is seen in Washington, D.C.

US Republicans Upbeat on Prospects for Debt Deal

May 19, 2023
Military hardware rolls through Dvortsovaya Square during a Victory Day military parade in central Saint Petersburg

Pressing Russia, US Shares Nuclear Warhead Data Under Treaty

May 16, 2023
A man holding a gun

The NRA’s Continuing Agenda of Fear

May 12, 2023
US Panel Recommends Nonprescription Use of Contraception Pill

US Panel Recommends Nonprescription Use of Contraception Pill

May 11, 2023

Opinion

A man holding a gun

The NRA’s Continuing Agenda of Fear

May 12, 2023
US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

A Supreme Folly 

April 24, 2023
Transgender Army veteran Tanya Walker speaks to protesters in Times Square near a military recruitment centre

Tennessee Is A Drag on the First Amendment

March 26, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping

China’s Path to Economic Dominance

March 15, 2023
An earthquake survivor reacts as rescuers look for victims and other survivors in Hatay, a Turkish province where hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the earthquake

Heed the Call of Our Broken World

March 1, 2023
Top view of the US House of Representatives

‘Cringy Awards:’ Who Is the Most Embarrassing US House Representative?

February 13, 2023
Facebook Twitter

Newsletter

Do you like our reporting?
SUBSCRIBE

About Us

The Globe Post

The Globe Post is part of Globe Post Media, a U.S. digital news organization that is publishing the world's best targeted news sites.

submit oped

© 2018 The Globe Post

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • World
  • Business
  • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Democracy at Risk
    • Media Freedom
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columns
    • Book Reviews
    • Stage
  • Submit Op-ed

© 2018 The Globe Post