Protecting the Homeland
There is no responsibility of our national leaders more sacred than protecting our homeland and keeping our families safe. Raja knows this and, as a former president of a company that researches and develops infrared night vision technology to keep our troops safe, Raja will do whatever is necessary to ensure our military has the resources it needs to carry out its missions anywhere in the world.
The challenge to our nation and its leaders in this current moment in time is global. The world is a tinderbox and it is imperative that we invest in our democratic allies while simultaneously discouraging aggression from our adversaries – all while ensuring that the men and women of our armed forces are not unnecessarily put in harm’s way.
Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and criminal attack on Ukraine is an attack on democratic governments and a rules-based international order. The U.S. Congress has been too slow in approving additional assistance for Ukraine, and we must continue to work with our allies and partners to support Ukraine with the weapons and resources it needs against Russia’s war of aggression. America has been a leader in mobilizing multilateral aid for Ukraine, including advanced weaponry, training, and intelligence support, which have enhanced its military effectiveness and resilience on the battlefield.
Further, the U.S. must continue to hold Russia accountable for its actions, including through sanctions. Raja is proud to have led a congressional effort to support robust funding for the Department of Justice’s Task Force on KleptoCapture, which investigates and seizes assets of Russian oligarchs seeking to evade sanctions. U.S. efforts like this work to undercut Russia’s strategic ambitions and global influence, and we must continue to pursue justice and accountability in the face of Russian aggression. We cannot allow Russia to run out the clock on our assistance to Ukraine.
In the Middle East, it is critical that we secure a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace. This has been long-standing U.S. policy across administrations and remains a top priority for American foreign policy. It is in America’s self-interest to support Israel’s defense against nefarious foreign actors such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. While Hamas must be held accountable for its barbaric attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, we also have a responsibility to ensure that innocent people in Gaza are protected, and that sufficient humanitarian assistance is able to reach civilians. I strongly support the ceasefire for hostages deal that is on the table that all the parties must accept at this time.
Raja is extremely concerned about Israeli government officials repeatedly rejecting U.S. calls for a two-state solution, and led an effort in Congress to demonstrate congressional support for a long-term two-state solution that includes a secure Israel and a sovereign Palestinian state, controlled and operated by a Palestinian government. He believes that a two-state solution is the only means to bring about long-term stability in the region.
We must also work to deter and prevent conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. Raja, as Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), plays a leading role in America’s policy on China. He’s co-authored bills that will crack down on international trade crimes and invest in the development of strategic technologies; investigated Chinese-state involvement in the fentanyl epidemic as well as American corporations that advance Chinese military capabilities and support CCP human rights abuses; and outlined over 150 specific policies that will revamp the United States’ competition with the People’s Republic of China. In addition, Raja and his Republican counterparts have successfully pursued military policies to deter further aggression by the CCP.
As we protect and promote our own American interests at home and abroad, we must also remember to protect and promote our most important interest: our standing as a beacon of hope, opportunity, and personal liberty throughout the world. This means engaging in active diplomacy– both to strengthen our longstanding alliances and to search for areas of potential agreement with those nations whose interests conflict with ours.