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Barbara Lee on Foreign Policy

Democratic Representative (CA-9)

 


Led delegation to Cuba and met with Fidel Castro

The Congressional Black Caucus delegation visiting Cuba this time [after the first in 1999] is led by Barbara Lee (CA). I had the honor of meeting her personally and admire her combative spirit and capacity for struggle.

The group she is leading is made up of 7 members of Congress. The other members of the delegation are: Mel Watt (NC); Mike Honda (CA); Laura Richardson (CA); Bobby Rush (IL); Marcia Fudge (OH); and Emanuel Cleaver (MO).

I highly appreciate the gesture of this group of lawmakers. Among the visitors there are opinions which are shared by all; other are personal points of view. In general, they believe that 68% of US public opinion favors a change in policy toward Cuba. One of them expressed the view that it was necessary to take advantage of this historic moment, when the presence of a black president in the White House coincides with current opinion that favors the normalization of relations.

Source: Obama and the Empire, by Fidel Castro, p. 39-41 , Apr 6, 2009

Allow Americans to travel to Cuba.

Lee co-sponsored allowing Americans to travel to Cuba

OnTheIssues.org explanation: The US government has forbidden US citizens from traveling to Cuba since the 1960s. Try booking a trip from Mexico City to Havana on travelocity.com (or any travel website) and it says, `Due to a U.S. government travel restriction we are unable to book this reservation.` You can, however, purchase that same ticket while in Mexico City, or anywhere else in the world. Sanford`s bill attempts to undo this long-standing situation.

OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL SUMMARY:

EXCERPTS FROM BILL:

LEGISLATIVE OUTCOME: Referred to the House Committee on the Western Hemisphere; never called for a House vote.

Source: Cuba travel bill (H.R.4471) 00-HR4471 on May 16, 2000

Supported sending Colin Powell to Durban racism conference.

Lee signed the CBC statement on the UN World Conference Against Racism

The Congressional Black Caucus is exasperated with the stance of the administration and the contempt implied by its lack of commitment to the U.N. World Conference Against Racism. We believe that there is no legitimate way to pretend that racism was not, and is not, real. The refusal of the government to send the highest-ranking African-American in its history to engage the world in a discussion of racism is disrespectful of the sacrifices of all that have suffered to get him where he is.

Nevertheless, we will be at the table to engage in a substantive and meaningful dialogue. This is not the first time that the Congressional Black Caucus has had to fight against racism without the backing of the administration. Partly because of our insistence on justice, we are in a free South Africa to talk about how to free the rest of the world.

We are committed to discussing how racism affects everyone, in every part of the world, in every part of our lives. We must dialogue with one another about health care, and technology, and the status of our youth. We need to talk openly and honestly about cultural and religious differences, and how we make the world one where our shared histories do not have to create conflict in our present. We must admit the injustices surrounding discriminatory sentencing, targeted intelligence operations, hate crimes and church burnings. We must have a frank discussion about where we are and where we need to go. There are injustices taking place today that must be corrected so that we will have a foundation on which to build the society of tomorrow. America does not have the right to abstain from its place at the table.

The Congressional Black Caucus brings to South Africa the voices of the multitude of Americans who support justice and truth, and those voices will not be muzzled. We will engage in this discussion and seize this historic opportunity.

Source: CBC Statement on the UN World Conference Against Racism 01-CBC2 on Aug 31, 2001

Multi-year commitment to Africa for food & medicine.

Lee co-sponsored the Hunger to Harvest bill:

    In an effort to reduce hunger in sub-Saharan Africa, urges the President to:

  1. set forth five-year and ten-year strategies to achieve a reversal of current levels of hunger and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, including a commitment to contribute an appropriate U.S. share of increased bilateral and multilateral poverty-focused resources for sub-Saharan Africa, with an emphasis on health (including HIV-AIDS prevention and treatment), education, agriculture, private sector and free market development, democratic institutions and the rule of law, micro-finance development, and debt relief; and

  2. work with the heads of other donor countries and sub-Saharan African countries and with private and voluntary organizations and other civic organizations to implement such strategies; and calls for

  3. Congress to undertake a multi-year commitment to provide the resources to implement those strategies; and

  4. the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to report on such implementation.
Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HCR102 on Apr 4, 2001

Remove African National Congress from terrorist list.

Lee co-sponsored removing African National Congress from terrorist list

A bill to exempt the African National Congress from treatment as a terrorist organization. [The ANC is now the ruling party of South Africa; as head of the ANC, Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years by the apartheid government before becoming President of South Africa].

Source: S.2979 08-S2979 on May 6, 2008

Rated +7 by AAI, indicating pro-Arab pro-Palestine voting record.

Lee scores +7 by AAI on Arab-Israeli issues

The Arab American Institute has compiled a Scorecard to catalogue the voting record of the 112th Congress on issues of importance to the Arab American community. For the House, we included 15 items: two bills on the Arab Spring, five bills and one letter on Palestine, two bills on Lebanon, three bills and a letter regarding civil liberties, and two bills on immigration.

  1. H.Res. 88 (+): supporting democratic aspirations in Egypt
  2. H.R. 2643 (+): penalizing the Bahraini government for attacking medical personnel
  3. H.R. 1006 (-): the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act
  4. H.R. 1501 (-): withholding US contributions until the UN retracts accusations of Israeli war crimes.
  5. H.Res. 268 (-): opposing any unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state
  6. H.R. 2457 (-): prohibiting any US government document from referring to `Palestine`
  7. H.R. 2829 (-): defunding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. The bill`s 141 co-sponsors receive a (-).
  8. 8. (+). Rep. David Price (D-NC) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) issued a letter titled `Support Palestinian Aid and Israel`s Security,` in which they call upon Congress to continue aid to the Palestinian Authority.
  9. H.R. 2215 (*) `to ensure that United States taxpayer dollars are not used to fund terrorist entities in Lebanon
  10. H.R. 996 (+): to raise awareness of the use of cluster munitions where civilians are present
  11. H.R. 140 (-): the `Birthright Citizenship Act, to eliminate `anchor babies` by changing the 14th Amendment.
  12. H. Res. 283 (+): to counter violence and discrimination against Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian communities
  13. H.R. 1805 (-): authorizing an extension of the USA PATRIOT Act until 2013, and amending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
  14. H.R. 1842 (+): the DREAM Act to protect undocumented minors pursuing higher education.
  15. H.R. 1932 (-): the Keep our Communities Safe Act for greater power to detain undocumented immigrants.
Source: AAI website 12-AAI-H on May 2, 2012

Humanitarian aid to rebuild Haiti after earthquake.

Lee co-sponsored Haiti Empowerment, Assistance, and Rebuilding Act

Source: H.R.3771 12-H3771 on Jan 10, 2012

Integrate gender into diplomatic and foreign aid processes.

Lee co-sponsored Women, Peace, and Security Act

Expresses the sense of Congress that:

White House Summary of NAP, December 2011:The goal of this National Action Plan is as simple as it is profound: to empower half the world`s population as equal partners in preventing conflict and building peace in countries threatened and affected by war, violence, and insecurity. Deadly conflicts can be more effectively avoided, and peace can be best forged and sustained, when women become equal partners. The National Action Plan is guided by the following five principles:

  1. the engagement and protection of women as agents of peace and stability
  2. building on goals for gender integration, gender equality, and women`s empowerment
  3. guided by the principle of inclusion, seeking out the views and participation of a wide variety of stakeholders--women and girls, men and boys, and members of marginalized groups
  4. coordinate among all relevant departments and agencies of the US government, integrated into relevant United States foreign policy initiatives, and enhanced by engagement with international partners
  5. be accountable for the implementation of the policies and initiatives endorsed in this Plan.
Source: H6255/S3477 12-S3477 on Aug 1, 2012

$500M and 3,000 troops to Africa to fight Ebola.

Lee signed Ebola Relief Resolution

Congressional Summary:

The current outbreak of Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia is an international health crisis and is the most widespread outbreak of the disease ever recorded.

Reporting pro & con by Washington Times, Sept. 16, 2014:

Amid dire warnings from medical professionals and frantic calls from Congress for greater US intervention, Pres. Obama said he`ll deploy 3,000 American troops to combat an African Ebola outbreak that he says is `spiraling out of control.`

The announcement comes as the Ebola death toll officially has reached 2,400, though specialists say underreporting in affected nations means the true numbers likely are much higher.

The US effort will be funded by $500 million in overseas contingency funding that the Pentagon wants to redirect to humanitarian missions. Specifically, the mission will include the training of as many as 500 new doctors and health care workers each week; the construction of at least 17 health care facilities in the region; the establishment of a joint command center in Monrovia, Liberia; and the distribution of home health-care kits in affected areas.

Others blasted the administration for taking a bite out of the Pentagon budget. `You can`t have it both ways. You can`t slash our defense budget on one hand, while expecting our military to do it on the other,` said Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Source: H.Res.701 14_HRes701 on Jul 31, 2014

Maintain World Bank funding as part of multilateralism.

Lee voted NAY The World Bank Accountability Act

Congressional Summary: HR 3326: World Bank Accountability Act: Requires withholding 15% of appropriation if countries borrowing from the World Bank`s International Development Association are not implementing the UN Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on North Korea. Withholds an additional 15% if the World Bank approved a loan to a country designated by the US as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Statement in support by Rep. French Hill (R-AR-2): The World Bank`s extravagant and unaccountable spending practices have been in conflict with the values of Americans for far too long. This bill helps put an end to sending hard-earned American dollars to despots and corrupt regimes. [We should instead] see these funds used how they were truly intended, which is to help lift individuals out of poverty and put them on the pathway to success.

Statement in opposition by IssueVoter.org: Opponents say that withholding funds may undercut the credibility and leverage the World Bank has to get reforms enacted and implemented. `America`s leadership at the World Bank is `one of the major tools in our soft power arsenal``. If the U.S. cuts obligations too much, it will cede that power.

Statement in opposition by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA-6) on Medium.comJan 22, 2018: H.R. 3326 is taking a hammer approach to a multilateral organization that provides support for millions of people in the world`s most impoverished countries. It is also concerning that this legislation is being considered at a time when the Trump Administration is actively seeking to back away from any and all international organizations. Additionally, the World Bank is already implementing a series of reforms.

Legislative outcome: Jan. 17, 2018 House Bill Passed 237-184 (Roll no. 24); bill died in Senate committee.

Source: Congressional vote 17-HR3326 on Jul 20, 2017

Enforce humanitarian aid access to South Sudan.

Lee signed enforcing humanitarian aid access to South Sudan

Excerpts from Letter from 12 Senators to President Trump: Since the onset of South Sudan`s civil war in 2013, at least 50,000 people have been killed and approximately 3 million have fled their homes. The African Union and the United Nations have documented numerous human rights abuses and warned of potential genocide. The assaults on civilians carried out during the course of the fighting in July 2016 between government and opposition forces shocked the conscience of the world, and served to demonstrate that the August 2015 peace agreement has failed. To date, the government has not held anyone accountable for the violence, nor for attacking a U.S. diplomatic convoy.

UN peacekeepers are protecting over 200,000 people who might otherwise be dead at UN bases in South Sudan. The UN Security Council approved an additional 4,000 peacekeepers in the wake of the July violence. Unfortunately, the government continues to obstruct the deployment of these troops.

In Sudan, it is critical that we ensure that Khartoum lives up to its agreement to adhere to its ceasefires, allow free and unfettered humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan and stop supporting rebel movements in South Sudan.

Supporting argument: (Heritage Foundation, 1/22/2014): The number of casualties and refugees in South Sudan is straining government and international humanitarian efforts. Pressure must be applied to both the government of South Sudan and the rebel faction to reconcile peacefully. The U.S. has a key role to play in the mediation efforts. South Sudan is one of the largest recipients of U.S. bilateral aid in sub-Saharan Africa, and the U.S. was instrumental in helping the young country gain independence and stand up its government. The U.S. should focus now on ending the conflict, political reconciliation, and humanitarian assistance.

Source: South Sudan Letter 17LTR-SUD on Feb 27, 2017

Acknowledge the Armenian Genocide of the early 1900s.

Lee co-sponsored acknowledging the Armenian Genocide of the early 1900s

Sen. DURBIN: The definition of `genocide` is `the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.` Scholars agree that what the Armenian people suffered in 1915 to 1917 fits the definition of genocide. To date, 19 countries and 37 US states recognize the Armenian Genocide. Genocide is wrong. It is evil. It is evil whether its victims are Armenians, Sudanese, Rwandan Tutsis, Cambodians or European Jews. Not to acknowledge genocide for what it is denigrates the memory of its victims. Recognition of genocide is part of the healing process. Official recognition will reaffirm our tradition of protecting the vulnerable and inspire us to not stand by and watch as genocide occurs in our time.
Source: Armenian Genocide Resolution (S.RES.106/H.RES.106) 2007-SR106 on Mar 14, 2007

Sanction Mugabe until Zimbabwe transitions to democracy.

Lee co-sponsored sanctioning Mugabe until Zimbabwe transitions to democracy

A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe. Expresses the sense of the Senate:

  1. supporting the people of Zimbabwe;
  2. that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should immediately release the legitimate results of the presidential election and ratify the previously announced results of the parliamentary elections;
  3. that President Robert Mugabe should accept the will of the people of Zimbabwe in order to effect a timely and peaceful transition to democratic rule;
  4. that the U.S. government and the international community should impose targeted sanctions against individuals in the government of Zimbabwe and state security services and militias who are responsible for human rights abuses and election interference;
  5. that the U.S. government and the international community should work together to prepare an economic and political recovery package for Zimbabwe;
  6. that regional organizations should play an active role in resolving the crisis; and
  7. that the U.N. Security Council should support efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution of the crisis and impose an international arms embargo on Zimbabwe until a legitimate democratic government has taken power.
Source: S.RES.533&H.RES.1230 2008-SR533 on Apr 24, 2008

Acknowledge the Armenian Genocide, as official US policy.

Lee signed Affirmation of US Record on Armenian Genocide