GOP Plots Pullout – Sudden Plan Reported
(UnitedVoice.com) – While historians credit Ronald Reagan with building one of the most prosperous economies in modern US history, it’s his foreign affairs work that they most remember him for during his eight years in the White House. Under his watch, Reagan combatted the Soviet Union, and his efforts ultimately resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall. The former president also used military power against terrorist states unhesitatingly and rebuilt the US military into the world’s most lethal force.
For decades, the GOP stood on its reputation for its strength in foreign affairs. Yet, in 2017, the idea of what makes America strong on the international stage began to change. Former President Donald Trump exposed how other nations took advantage of America’s generosity and how trade imbalances created a hostile environment for US workers. Now, a growing number of Republicans appear ready to shift how they see the US on the global stage, including pulling back on foreign interventions as America deals with its domestic issues.
Is the GOP Ready to Change Its Perspective on Foreign Affairs?
On Monday, May 23, Axios reported several GOP lawmakers and conservative groups met to strategize on how to pull US support for Ukraine, Europe, the Middle East, and other places around the globe. While the small group doesn’t have the numbers to change the GOP’s foreign policy views, the list is growing as Donald Trump backs candidates who support a new perspective that clashes with orthodox Republican thinking.
On May 19, 11 GOP senators broke with party leadership to vote against the $40-billion Ukrainian deal. While the size of the bill was problematic for some conservative members, others objected because much of the legislation didn’t go through the normal budget process to scrutinize and debate on items more closely. The 11 noted the legislation wasn’t in America’s best interest while the country struggles with mass migration on the US southern border and massive inflation hurting American families.
Axios said Conservatives were skeptical and opposed involving the US in a long-term commitment in Ukraine. That’s a far different approach than Republicans took in Iraq or 20 years of conflict in Afghanistan. Some believe President Biden hasn’t been clear on his strategy in Ukraine, and the government should instead use the $40-billion package to combat inflation and immigration.
Think Tanks Huddle With Sen. Paul
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is the current face of the GOP opposition to more foreign interventions. Recently, leaders from several think tanks met with Paul in his Senate office. Leaders from the Koch political network, Cato Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and others met with libertarian-leaning Senator to create a new conservative strategy and message moving forward.
Heritage Foundation’s Kevin Roberts said a strong conservative and libertarian message would develop in the next few months and through 2024, saying US foreign policy should be more restrained but still robust. Roberts added the US needs to shift gears on foreign policy to focus on fewer military engagements involving Europe and pay more attention to China. He noted that rank-and-file Heritage donors have come down firmly in favor of restraint versus exercising military power.
Dan Caldwell, Vice President of Stand Together, a Koch foreign policy networking group, told Axios that Conservatives sensed the foreign policy initiatives before President Trump’s shift didn’t make America safer and were becoming steadily more unpopular with the Republican base.
Over the coming years, GOP politics around foreign affairs could change dramatically.
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