Congressman Crow Outlines His New Vision for American Foreign Policy

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a former Army Ranger and Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, presented his new vision for American foreign policy.

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In remarks delivered at the Center for American Progress (CAP), Congressman Crow offered a new affirmative vision for the future of American global leadership. His speech presented a foreign policy that is rooted in working-class interests and true American values. He discussed four key pillars, Congress’ role in our foreign policy and the need to reclaim its authority. The implications of America failing to live up to our values on the global stage. The crucial need to root out corruption both at home and abroad. And how we can find and recruit new talent to bolster our foreign policy institutions.  

American Foreign Policy has Neglected the Working Class

“And that requires looking back over the last 30 years and looking at it through the lens of the people that I grew up with in a working-class town in the Upper Midwest, those who I fought with, and those who I now serve. In those last 30 years, we've had over 20 years of failed military interventions, $3 trillion, three million combat tours, over 7,000 of our own dead, tens of thousands of others dead, and what's not in those numbers is the unequal burden that was borne by the working class.”

“Americans simply no longer trust the foreign policy establishment in this country. And they shouldn't. Because it's actually failed them in so many remarkable ways.”

Congress’ Role in our Foreign Policy 

“Because if you're concerned about the bombing of Iran, the bombing of the Houthis, the strikes in the Caribbean, well, Congress is letting that happen. If you think that our counterterrorism strategy in Africa has largely failed, well, Congress could change that. And if you're troubled by the weaponization of our National Guard across our country and our president claiming to go to war with the American people? Well, Congress could stop that too.”

Living Up to our Own Standards

“I saw very clearly when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, us making deals with warlords and strongmen. I know our history of aligning, at times, with autocrats because we want to keep oil prices low, we make short-term decision after short-term decision that undermines our credibility, and our ability to actually go to the world and make the case.”

Rooting out Corruption at Home & Abroad 

“Trump's doctrine is simple, it's pay to play for tech oligarchs and strong men, all of whom will support each other and steal our democracy and our self-determination from us, so that only they will control politics, the economy, technology, information, and our daily lives. 

“An ambitious anti-corruption agenda at home and abroad must be our second order priority behind recapturing war powers. And if members of Congress aren't willing to be serious about that, then they can't be taken seriously by all of you.”

A Foreign Policy that Represents Every America

“It is just true that our foreign policy and national security system has become too insular and out of touch. We cannot run a system that's responsive and seen by the American people as responsive to their needs if it's with the same people, who have gone to the same three colleges, most of whom live within 50 miles of an ocean. 

“It must reflect not only who we are, but how we think. Our ability to turn this around will be directly related to our ability to tap into the talent that this entire country has to offer. And that means mentoring programs. That means reaching into high schools and colleges around the country. It means changing, radically, our security clearance system so people with actual lived experience can still qualify for important jobs.”

As a former Army Ranger, Congressman Crow knows that America’s strength is derived from the strength of its values and has long promoted U.S. global leadership. He has long supported diplomatic efforts to ease tensions around the globe and has strongly spoken out against sending another generation of troops to fight another yet another series of endless conflicts. 

The full speech can be viewed here, and transcript of the speech as delivered is included below:

I've been on Capitol Hill for seven years now, in this job, on the Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Intelligence Committee. Have led the bipartisan Veterans caucus, the Army caucus. I've done a lot of work in this field. But all of this policy has always brought me back to the start of my career as a teenager, when I first raised my right hand, and took an oath to this country, and at that point, was Private Crow, the lowest ranking person you can be in the military. 

I was at the very receiving end of all the policy that's made here in this town. Since that time, from Private Crow to Congressman Crow, the world indeed has been turned upside down. All that we had assumed and taken for granted has been thrown into question. The biggest divide that I see right now, and how we view this problem, is those who believe that Donald Trump is the cause of it, versus those who believe that Donald Trump is a symptom of it. 

And that requires looking back over the last 30 years and looking at it through the lens of the people that I grew up with in a working-class town in the Upper Midwest, those who I fought with, and those who I now serve. In those last 30 years, we've had over 20 years of failed military interventions, $3 trillion, three million combat tours, over 7000 of our own dead, tens of thousands of others dead, and what's not in those numbers is the unequal burden that was borne by the working class.

What I learned as a young man is that when people pound their chest and bang the war drums in Washington, D.C. and talk about going to do tough things, they're not talking about themselves. They're talking about young kids from towns many of us haven't heard of that have to pick up rifles, jump into helicopters, get inside tanks, and do the tough stuff. 

Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, the middle class was gutted by NAFTA and free trade and neoliberal economic policies, that were supposed to deliver for everybody, raised the water for all boats, delivered instead, disproportionate impacts. The industrial portions of our country were left behind in many trade deals and automation. Also, we had a pandemic that shattered Americans' sense of safety, and once again, the impact felt disproportionately. 

It's one thing to jump on a zoom if you're in a white-collar office job, but most of the people that I represent couldn't do that. They're in the service industry, construction, healthcare, and they lost their jobs or had to show up anyway. Also, meanwhile, we have a surging China that is competing against us, and out competing us in many keyways, and the largest land war in Europe. 

All of this to say that the veil has been pierced, and the last decade of elections have made something very clear: Americans simply no longer trust the foreign policy establishment in this country. And they shouldn't. Because it's actually failed them in so many remarkable ways.

So, this isn't predominantly a policy discussion. It's a discussion about trust, about where we are now, but how we're going to restore trust to get back to having policy discussions with the people that we're supposed to serve. Because what is very clear, again, is that America wants something very different. I believe that the way that we answer four key questions will determine whether or not people will trust us again and give us the opportunity to serve. 

The first question you should ever ask a Member of Congress before they ever start talking about foreign policy is: are you willing to reclaim your foreign policy powers?

Our Founders believed that Congress had a fundamental role in our foreign policy, from trade to treaties, to war powers, and to appropriations. For decades, Congress has ceded and given up many of those powers. Our Founders knew that these things were too important to be entrusted simply to the Executive because it needed accountability to those closest to the people. And there's no one closer to the people than members of Congress, who have to go home every weekend and stand before their constituents and answer questions. We saw over the last 25 years Congress giving blank checks to presidents Republican and Democratic Congresses did it, and they did it to Republican and Democratic presidents across the board.

Nobody here can ever tell me that our 25 years of failed foreign military interventions would have ended differently, or sooner, had members of Congress been forced regularly to go to high school gymnasiums, Rotary Clubs, and any other organization in their community, and explain why Americans should give their sons and daughters to war efforts and billions of their hard earned dollars. It absolutely would have ended differently. 

So, any member of Congress must be willing to repeal and replace our AUMFs and reinsert itself in our trade and treaty powers. Because if you're concerned about the bombing of Iran, the bombing of the Houthis, the strikes in the Caribbean, well, Congress is letting that happen. If you think that our counterterrorism strategy in Africa has largely failed, well, Congress could change that. And if you're troubled by the weaponization of our National Guard across our country and our president claiming to go to war with the American people? Well, Congress could stop that too. So, no Member of Congress can legitimately talk about foreign policy unless they're willing to take that first step. 

The second question, are we willing to follow our own rules? Americans believe in rules. This town loves to talk about the ‘Rules Based International Order.’ First of all, nobody outside this town really understands what that means. But secondly, a lot of Americans just think it's bullshit. Not the rules, but our unequal application and our inconsistency in following those rules.

I saw very clearly when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, us making deals with warlords and strongmen. I know our history of aligning, at times, with autocrats because we want to keep oil prices low, we make short-term decision after short-term decision that undermines our credibility, and our ability to actually go to the world and make the case. 

And frankly, there is no more vivid example than the split screen between Ukraine, and the Israel-Gaza war. Ukraine, a just war, a country fighting for its survival and its sovereignty that merited our involvement, and still does, while at the same time us supporting and not being willing to apply our own rules to a war that brought over 60,000 civilian casualties in the Middle East and in Gaza. This town loves to talk about IHL, LOAC [Law of Armed Conflict], National Security Memorandum 20, the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, Leahy Vetting. These are all tools that could work, that would work if we actually are willing to apply our own standards and live by them. Americans do indeed want rules to avoid chaos and inconsistency, and it starts with following them ourselves. 

The third question, are you willing to take on corruption seriously, both at home and abroad? The Trump administration has rapidly become the most corrupt in American history. Donald Trump is personalizing American power for the benefit of his family and a handful of associates. He has become a predatory pawn shop dealer looking to cut a deal with the next desperate customer who walks through the door. 

Imposing tariffs on Brazil to support an ally, $20 billion bailout for Argentina, Pakistan giving a golf course deal for favorable treatment, hotel deals around the world too countless to even mention today, jets in exchange for security deals, and on and on. All while billions flow into meme coins from unknown foreign investors directly into the pocket of Donald Trump and the Trump family.

Trump's doctrine is simple, it's pay to play for tech oligarchs and strong men, all of whom will support each other and steal our democracy and our self-determination from us, so that only they will control politics, the economy, technology, information, and our daily lives. An ambitious anti-corruption agenda at home and abroad must be our second order priority behind recapturing war powers. And if members of Congress aren't willing to be serious about that, then they can't be taken seriously by all of you.

The next and final question is, are we willing to open the door to new talent? When I worked in construction, to help put my way through college, you'd start every day with a handshake, but what that handshake actually was, was a callous check. You're feeling somebody's hands and asking yourself, are they one of me? Are they one of us? Because more so than how smart you are, or what you may know, people want to be able to trust you. 

It is just true that our foreign policy and national security system has become too insular and out of touch. We cannot run a system that's responsive and seen by the American people as responsive to their needs if it's with the same people, who have gone to the same three colleges, most of whom live within 50 miles of an ocean. 

This town loves its policy dinners, it's saloons, it's retreats, it's nice trips. When I first came to Congress and I started to go to these salons and these dinners, it didn't take me very long to realize it was the same people saying many of the same things. Americans simply don't see themselves in their leadership anymore. 

It must reflect not only who we are, but how we think. Our ability to turn this around will be directly related to our ability to tap into the talent that this entire country has to offer. And that means mentoring programs. That means reaching into high schools and colleges around the country. It means changing, radically, our security clearance system so people with actual lived experience can still qualify for important jobs.

And it also means creating a diplomacy and national security system that requires for advancement regular tours in the United States to conduct public diplomacy, to go to Kansas City and run a World Affairs Council, to go to Denver and help organize civic organizations focused on the global economy.

A lot has happened in my almost seven years in Congress, but it all comes back to my time as an Arby's cashier, a construction worker, a paratrooper and a Ranger. In all of those cases, people simply wanted to trust you first. Most of these folks have lost faith in this town, and rightfully so. I share much of that anger and frustration. There is so much that we must do, but we will never be given the chance to do any of it unless we prove that we are willing to build an entirely new system based on fundamental principles. Thank you. 

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