Prioritizing Foreign Policy

America is the shining city on a hill, and we need strong, democratic partners around the world to help defend Western ideals of liberty and human rights. Weakness in the face of provocations from foreign enemies who openly oppose these ideals, such as China and Russia, threatens the freedom, and in some cases the very survival, of friends and allies we have fought alongside to liberate. Clarity and consistency in securing our prerogatives and standing with those who aspire to freedom, democracy, and self-determination around the world is vital.

Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has repeatedly flip-flopped on its stance toward a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. They have also shown blatant disregard of Chinese efforts to isolate Taiwan and have blundered by openly considering a unilateral end-of-war declaration in Korea, which without a doubt would embolden the North Korean regime to further expand their nuclear weapons program.

The foreign policy decisions coming from the White House could have dramatic consequences in the future. Because of the seriousness of the situation, I recently joined my colleagues to urgently request the Biden Administration reverse course on its dangerous strategy with North Korea, including the formal end-of-war declaration. Such a declaration would pose great risk to our allies in the region, especially South Korea and Japan, and would diminish our military's ability to adequately counter China in East Asia. On the Korean Peninsula, peace remains our foremost goal, but this can only be accomplished after North Korean denuclearization, not before.

Due to Russia's increasingly threatening behavior in Eastern Europe, I also cosponsored resolutions which prioritize support for our free and democratic allies in the region. This includes H.Res. 831 to encourage the establishment of a NATO Center for Democratic Resilience. Leveraging the NATO partnership to provide additional resources to member, partner, and aspiring states increases the versatility and effectiveness of the partnership and counters Russian attempts to undermine the stability of the region. I also support H.Res. 833, a bipartisan resolution expressing America's backing of the independence and territorial integrity of Moldova, a fledging eastern European democracy threatened by Russian interference.

Our Constitution establishes the President of the United States as Commander in Chief in order to ensure consistency and strength in our diplomacy. President Biden and his foreign policy advisors at the White House and State Department are failing to provide either. There is too much at stake for both us and our allies who aspire to these shared values to allow the President to fail in this basic duty. Rest assured, I will continue my work in Washington on behalf of Nebraskans to right the ship and chart a foreign policy agenda which achieves a better future.