National Security
Democrats are committed to enhancing our national security and advancing key American interests, while supporting human rights and democratic values at home and abroad.
In the 117th Congress, Democrats passed a bipartisan defense authorization bill that strengthened our national security, ensured our military personnel have the resources they need to defend our country, and bolstered our allies and international interests. In the 118th Congress, Democrats will build on these gains by continuing to help President Biden keep Americans safe.
We will continue to work with the Administration to provide our diplomats and our troops with the tools needed to carry out their missions abroad safely and effectively. This will include continuing to work with our allies to ensure Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine ends in defeat for Putin, that America maintains its competitiveness against China’s authoritarian challenges, and that the world is free from threats posed by Iran.
On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order putting in place new vetting procedures for refugees and immigrants entering the United States without consulting our national security agencies or our allies around the world.
The executive order President Trump signed on Friday makes our country less safe and emboldens terrorist groups like ISIS.
President Trump’s reorganization of the National Security Council weakens our security and puts Americans’ safety and the safety of our troops at risk.
This week, Congressional Republicans voted to begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act.
I think what the Inspector General needs to do is [ask] ‘were the proper policies followed? Do the facts justify the action that was taken?’ Not so much for what happened in the past, but for what ought to be done in the future.
I am deeply disappointed that Republicans refused to vote together with Democrats to bring to the Floor the Protecting Our Democracy Act.
“This report is damning. Our intelligence agencies have done their work and done it well. There can be no refuting the hard facts: Russia hacked our election, seeking to undermine America’s democratic and electoral institutions. Donald Trump has claimed that it could have been any of a number of nations or even a rogue individual who engaged in these cyberattacks.
The magnitude of Russian interference in our recent election demands an independent investigative commission, and today I am joining with more than 150 of my House colleagues in cosponsoring legislation to establish such a body.
I think there's a real danger that is occurring where Donald Trump is either not getting briefings because he thinks they're irrelevant and he knows more than the intelligence agencies, or he has the intelligence agency briefings and denies their findings… and undermines the confidence they have in themselves and undermines the confidence Americans have in our intelligence agencies.
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the White House announced steps being taken in response to Russia's meddling in the 2016 election: