Seth Moulton in Council on Foreign Relations
On Energy & Oil:
Need to make climate change a top priority
We need to make clean energy more cost-effective than coal for developing countries. We should also rejoin the Paris Climate Accord immediately, and we must also go further. If we hope to not only save the planet but also remain the economic
and diplomatic leaders of it, we need to make climate change a top priority in our investment, foreign policy, and national security decisions. And we must do so now before it's too late.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Condemn China's human rights abuses
Human rights must be a key focus of our foreign policy, both with China and around the world. The United States should publicly condemn China's human rights abuses and continually raise them at the highest levels in diplomatic dialogue.
We should also pursue targeted sanctions on entities and individuals who are involved in repression and make clear that we support Hong Kong's autonomy.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Need to push Saudis on human rights, not arm Yemen war
Saudi leadership is playing a double game of implementing some limited societal and economic reforms while, at the same time, cracking down on dissidents--including Jamaal Khashoggi, the journalist living in the United States who the
Saudis brutally murdered. In 2020 and beyond, we need to push the Saudis on human rights, stop giving them weapons to kill civilians in Yemen, and make the terms of our alliance conditional on their compliance.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Support two-state solution, not current Israeli government
I unequivocally support a two-state solution. Israelis deserve to live in peace and security, and the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own. Israel is our closest ally in the Middle East and will continue to be. But we cannot continue to
support their current right-wing government's policies that have made a two-state solution virtually impossible. There's blame to go around, but the Israelis have failed to live up to the standards we demand from our allies, and that needs to change.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Venezuela: US should not try to be world's policeman
The Trump administration's approach to Venezuela is a throwback to the Cold War: intervene in support of a coup, blame Cuba for everything, and in the process, make America a foil for Maduro to use with his people as the reason his economy is faltering.
We should continue to sanction Venezuelan leaders and encourage the opposition. But if my time in the Marines taught me anything, it's that the United States is not the world's policeman. Nor should we try to be.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Africa: help next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs
The United States should work to help build the next generation of leaders in Africa by partnering with governments, civil society organizations, and others throughout the continent. The U.S government should also work directly with entrepreneurs,
especially in Africa's developing countries. Lastly, while extreme poverty has fallen worldwide, too many Africans still struggle on less than $2 a day. We must help these countries grow their middle classes.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Free Trade:
Deals must help Americans & protect intellectual property
We need to take on China but do so in a smart way. That means working towards a trade deal that helps Americans and American workers; building a cyber wall to keep our intellectual property safe in the face of
Chinese aggression; and establishing a Pacific version of NATO to counter the growing security threat China poses to the region.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On Free Trade:
China steps in when US doesn't lead on trade deals
Under Trump, we've seen what happens when the United States doesn't lead in these multilateral efforts: China steps in and tries to remake the world in their autocratic, illiberal image. For that reason and more, my administration would re-engage in the
TPP negotiations, focusing on strengthening labor and environmental standards. The goal must be to conclude a strong, fair trade deal for the Pacific on our terms, not China's.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On War & Peace:
Rejoin Iran nuclear deal; strengthen and extend it
The best and most durable way to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear-armed is through a diplomatic agreement with verification and monitoring, which we had before President Trump unilaterally withdrew from it. Our goal should be rejoining the
Iran deal and strengthening it, focused on extending the timelines for the specific provisions that have sunset clauses. We should also conclude separate agreements addressing issues such as ballistic missiles.
The longer-term goal should be to move Iran towards less belligerent behavior in the region, where Iran is not threatening our allies or our interests. Neither of these goals can be achieved by simply backing Iran into a corner with no escape.
We need to use sanctions, open a direct dialogue with Iran, and give them a path forward that does not include outright war.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On War & Peace:
Interim agreement with North Korea would be step forward
Given that North Korea has a progressing nuclear program, we must work toward an interim agreement that halts North Korea's program in exchange for limited sanctions relief. We don't yet know whether the North Koreans would agree to any deal that
dismantles their nuclear program in exchange for significant economic incentives. We need to test that proposition while halting Pyongyang's progress, and an interim agreement would do just that.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On War & Peace:
Provide lethal aid to Ukraine; strengthen NATO
The United States needs to hold Russia accountable for its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. We should do so by increasing sanctions to impose costs on the Russian government and by continuing to provide lethal aid to Ukraine. The actions we take must
also be part of a broader strategy to counter Moscow's malign behavior. That means strengthening NATO's military capabilities and modernizing it to counter cyberattacks with the same resolve we've used to stop tanks from rolling into Europ
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
On War & Peace:
Work to be done in Afghanistan after bringing troops home
The goal is to bring our troops home from Afghanistan but when we do, to bring them home for good. That means keeping enough troops there long enough to execute on a narrowly defined, achievable counterterrorism mission. We should do this by maintaining
our counterterrorism capabilities, increasing our civilian support for the Afghan government through diplomacy and development, and staying engaged in the ongoing train and equip mission for the Afghan military as required.
Source: Council on Foreign Relations on 2020 presidential primary
Jul 30, 2019
Page last updated: Mar 16, 2022