User:Informant16/Political positions of Ro Khanna

Ro Khanna

The political positions of Ro Khanna are reflected by his United States House of Representatives voting record, public speeches, and interviews. Ro Khanna is a Democratic Representative who has represented California's 17th congressional district since 2017.

Domestic policy

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Economics

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Environment

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Gun control

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Health care

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Immigration

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Foreign policy

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Afghanistan

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In 2019 Khanna and Senator Rand Paul led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in signing a letter to Trump asserting that it is "long past time to rein in the use of force that goes beyond congressional authorization" and they hoped this would "serve as a model for ending hostilities in the future—in particular, as you and your administration seek a political solution to our involvement in Afghanistan.”[1] In a statement, Khanna said, "The president cannot pursue a foreign policy agenda without the advice and consent, let alone the support, of the Congress" and thanked Paul for helping him "in bringing an end to these wars", citing the Constitution as not being partisan.[2]

Brazil

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Khanna has been critical of Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right politician criticized for misogynistic, homophobic and anti-immigrant views who has been embraced by the Trump administration as an ally and partner.[3][4] In March 2019 Khanna and 29 other Democratic lawmakers wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that read in part, "Since the election of far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro as president, we have been particularly alarmed by the threat Bolsonaro’s agenda poses to the LGBTQ+ community and other minority communities, women, labor activists, and political dissidents in Brazil. We are deeply concerned that, by targeting hard-won political and social rights, Bolsonaro is endangering Brazil’s long-term democratic future".[4] Khanna also asked the Trump administration to investigate the case that imprisoned former Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on corruption charges, following The Intercept’s exposé that showed Judge Sérgio Moro plotted with prosecutors to convict Lula and prevent the Workers’ Party from returning to power.[5]

Iran

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Israel

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North Korea

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Syria

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Venezuela

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Yemen

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On September 27, 2017, Khanna along with Representatives Thomas Massie, Mark Pocan, and Walter B. Jones Jr., submitted a bipartisan bill on the floor of the House that would halt U.S. military assistance to the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen on the grounds that Congress has never approved the American role in the war. In a joint statement with Pocan, Khanna said, "we aim to restore Congress as the constitutionally mandated branch of government that may declare war and retain oversight over it."[6][7][8] Khanna, Pocan, and Jones penned an op-ed for The New York Times detailing the human cost of the continued war in Yemen, saying, "We believe that the American people, if presented with the facts of this conflict, will oppose the use of their tax dollars to bomb and starve civilians in order to further the Saudi monarchy's regional goals."[9]

On November 13, 2017, the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning civilian deaths, starvation and the spread of disease in Yemen, admitting that much of the responsibility for that humanitarian crisis rests with the U.S. because of its support for a Saudi-led military intervention, and noting that the war has allowed al Qaeda, ISIL, and other groups to thrive.[10] Khanna, along with Representative Jim McGovern, co-sponsored the resolution on the House floor. The resolution passed with a bipartisan majority of 366-30.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

In November 2018, after American and Saudi officials announced that the Trump administration had halted its inflight refueling support for the Saudi-led coalition aircraft engaged in Yemen, Khanna called the decision "a major victory" while asserting the need for Congress to pass a resolution ensuring all American involvement was ended.[19] In February 2019, the House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced a bill ending American support for the Saudi intervention in Yemen. Khanna noted that more than "14 million Yemenis—half the country—are on the brink of famine, and at least 85,000 children have already died from hunger and disease as a result of the war" and called for Congress to "end American complicity in the atrocities in Yemen."[20] On February 13, after the House voted to withdraw support for the Saudis in Yemen, Khanna called the day "historic" and said he was "encouraged by the direction people are pushing our party to take on foreign policy, promoting restraint and human rights and with the sense they want Congress to play a much larger role."[21]

References

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  1. ^ Everett, Burgess (April 3, 2019). "Rand Paul, Ocasio-Cortez praise Trump for Syria withdrawal". Politico.
  2. ^ Bolton, Alexander (April 3, 2019). "Rand Paul teams up with Ocasio-Cortez, Omar to press Trump on Syria withdrawal". The Hill.
  3. ^ "U.S. Lawmakers Want "Severe Consequences" for Brazil If Jair Bolsonaro Delivers on Promised Violence". The Intercept. October 25, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Brazil's far-right president tweeted out a pornographic video to condemn Carnival". Vox. March 6, 2019.
  5. ^ Chávez, Aída; Lacy, Akela (2019-06-11). "Bernie Sanders Calls for Brazil's Judiciary to Release Lula in Wake of Corruption Exposure". The Intercept. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
  6. ^ Nichols, John (September 28, 2017). "Congress Must End US Military Support for the Horrific Saudi Bombing of Yemen". Retrieved October 21, 2017 – via www.thenation.com.
  7. ^ "Lawmakers Demand U.S. Withdrawal From Saudi-Led War in Yemen". foreignpolicy.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  8. ^ Policy, Dan De Luce, (c) 2017, Foreign. "Lawmakers demand U.S. withdrawal from Saudi-led war in Yemen". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 21, 2017. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Khanna, Ro; Pocan, Mark; Jones, Walter (October 10, 2017). "Opinion - Stop the Unconstitutional War in Yemen". Retrieved October 21, 2017 – via www.nytimes.com.
  10. ^ "Obama, Trump And Saudi Arabia Devastated Yemen. Congress Is Acting. Slowly. | HuffPost". Huffingtonpost.com. November 14, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  11. ^ Nilsen, Ella (November 14, 2017). "America is fueling the war in Yemen. Congress is finally pushing back". Vox. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  12. ^ Trickey, Erick (November 13, 2017). "House declares U.S. military role in Yemen's civil war unauthorized". Politico. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  13. ^ Keating, Joshua (November 14, 2017). "The U.S. has helped Saudi Arabia bomb Yemen for almost three years. Congress just noticed". Slate.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  14. ^ "House votes on US involvement in Yemen". TheHill. November 13, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  15. ^ "Congress recognizes, slams the unauthorized American war in Yemen in bipartisan resolution". Salon.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  16. ^ "Congress Votes to Say It Hasn't Authorized War in Yemen, Yet War in Yemen Goes On". Theintercept.com. November 14, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  17. ^ "House declares U.S. support for Saudi Arabia's Yemen war an unauthorized use of force". Theweek.com. November 14, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  18. ^ Loree Lewis (November 14, 2017). "House passes resolution spotlighting US engagement in Yemeni civil war, calls for peaceful end". Talkmedianews.com. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  19. ^ "Pentagon: No more refueling of Saudi aircraft bombing Yemen". Politico. November 9, 2018.
  20. ^ Desiderio, Andrew (February 6, 2019). "House Dems defy Trump on Yemen and Saudi Arabia".
  21. ^ "House passes bill to end US support for Saudi war in Yemen". The Hill. February 13, 2019.