5 Foreign-Policy Priorities for Democrats After the Midterms
Foreign policy could be unusually pivotal in the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3. Voters are telling pollsters they are angry about prices at the pump, which have increased by more than a third since the start of the year. Many blame U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, as well as his trade war with Canada, for hurting their wallets. And while Trump himself isn’t on the ballot, voters seem increasingly likely to turn against his party.
Most major election forecasters now predict that the Democratic Party will win control of the House. Should that happen, Democrats would oversee the writing of the chamber’s annual military and foreign aid spending bills. They’d also have the power to convene high-profile hearings to examine the executive branch’s foreign-policy moves.
Foreign policy could be unusually pivotal in the U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 3. Voters are telling pollsters they are angry about prices at the pump, which have increased by more than a third since the start of the year. Many blame U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran, as well as his trade war with Canada, for hurting their wallets. And while Trump himself isn’t on the ballot, voters seem increasingly likely to turn against his party.
Most major election forecasters now predict that the Democratic Party will win control of the House. Should that happen, Democrats would oversee the writing of the chamber’s annual military and foreign aid spending bills. They’d also have the power to convene high-profile hearings to examine the executive branch’s foreign-policy moves.
The outlook for control of the Senate is murkier, though forecasters say Democrats’ chances of winning it have improved in recent weeks. If Democrats win the Senate, they will gain the additional power of blocking votes on all of Trump’s national security nominees, which could be important leverage for looming policy fights over Iran, China, artificial intelligence, and troop movements.
Here are the top five foreign-policy priorities that Democrats are likely to focus on if they win control of one or both chambers of Congress in early November:
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in front of the new Air Force One, gifted to him by Qatar, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, United States, on June 19.Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Democrats see alleged corruption committed by members of the Trump administration as a potent campaign message, connecting voter anger over the high cost of living with reports of self-dealing by Trump’s friends and family. And they’re pledging to investigate these allegations if they win the House.
“Trump has used national security and foreign policy as one of his primary tools for monetizing the government,” Rep. Jason Crow, who is leading House Democrats’ efforts to win in battleground districts around the country, told Foreign Policy. He accused the president of carrying out “with astonishing disregard” a “racketeering shake-down operation to earn money and promote his businesses.”
One very visible target for Democratic inquiries could include Trump’s acceptance of a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar. Another could be the alleged links between Abu Dhabi’s investments in the Trump family’s crypto business and the White House’s decision to approve the export of 500,000 advanced chips to the United Arab Emirates. That happened despite fears that the sensitive technology would be shared with China.
“The blatant corruption you’re seeing at all levels, in particular foreign........
