House Republicans on Thursday released a policy paper recommending an approach to U.S. foreign policy that prioritizes the nation’s nuclear deterrent, greater efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), and a robust U.S.-NATO alliance.
The policy agenda offers Congress and the president 67 recommendations developed by the Task Force on National Security, a group that includes House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), and Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas). It’s part of a broader GOP agenda aimed at addressing challenges such as poverty, the economy, and healthcare.
“In the past seven years, our friendships have frayed. Our rivalries have intensified. It’s not too much to say that our enemies no longer fear us and too many of our allies no longer trust us. And I think this is the direct result of the president’s foreign policy,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday at the policy paper launch event.
“America has to set the standard,” he added. “It has to show the world, by words and by deeds, that diplomacy, trade, and cooperation are in all of our interests.”
The paper, which emphasizes issues such as homeland defense and counterterrorism, says investing in a reliable nuclear deterrent should be a priority to improve U.S. military strength.
It also calls for greater efforts to prevent WMD proliferation, citing the administration’s nuclear deal with Iran as potential cause for “a new wave of proliferation.” The United States should watch for signs of covert nuclear programs, it says, and help build capacity in other countries for the detection and interdiction of WMD smuggling.
Pointing to the potential for terrorist acquisition of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons, the paper calls for enhanced border security. “[W]e will redouble our efforts to equip ports of entry, frontline defenders, and other partners with the critical tripwires for detecting WMD threats before they are smuggled into America,” it says.
It also calls for “modernizing and solidifying NATO” by maintaining the U.S. presence in NATO countries, offering training to the East European members, and encouraging the coalition’s member states to increase their defense spending to avoid “letting the alliance fall into disrepair, or worse, irrelevance.”
The proposal says the U.S. should engage allies most threatened by countries such as Russia, China, or Iran, in joint military exercises and training, and that it should expedite arms sales to its partners.
The report calls “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s burgeoning militarism” a threat to the U.S. and its allies, and says the U.S. should no longer deny Ukrainians lethal weapons to use in their defense against Russia. “Exports of American energy resources should also be used to blunt Russian energy dominance over Europe,” it also suggests.
Asked about the national security aspects of the proposal, a White House spokesman said by email, “We share the view of many members of Congress who are concerned about reducing the threat of WMD proliferation.”
“Through the four Nuclear Security Summits, the international community has strengthened the international organizations, institutions and multilateral legal instruments that make up the nuclear security architecture, and improved coordination between them,” the spokesman said.
