Biden outlines plans for revamping U.S. foreign policy
Dem to focus on renewing alliances, reinvigorating U.S. democracy
Democratic presidential frontrunner Joe Biden offered a sweeping overhaul of U.S. foreign policy after four years of Donald Trump’s leadership.
The former vice president said he would focus on restoring America’s central role in mobilizing democracies against global threats by restoring alliances and relationships that have been damaged by the administration. He also emphasized domestic priorities such as recasting immigration policies, reinvigorating U.S. democracy and equipping Americans to better succeed in the global economy.
“Political wisdom holds that Americans, the American public, doesn’t vote on foreign policy,” he said in New York. “But I think that’s an old way of thinking. In 2019 foreign policy is domestic policy in my view. And domestic policy is foreign policy.”
Biden is coming off several difficult weeks on the campaign trail where he’s faced criticism for his record. The attempt to reset the conversation follows a rocky performance at the first Democratic debates, a weekend speech to apologize for comments he made about segregationist senators, and efforts to explain some of the many potential policy landmines from his six terms in the Senate.
Biden and his advisers see foreign policy as an area of clear strength for him given his long experience and voters’ understanding of his powerful role in the administration of President Barack Obama.
“The challenge of following this disastrous presidency will not be just to restore the reputation of our credibility,” Biden said. “It’ll be to enact a forward-looking foreign policy for the world as we find it today and as we anticipate it will be tomorrow and years to come.”
Like Obama and Trump during their presidential campaigns, Biden called for an end to the “forever wars” in Afghanistan and the Middle East. He would bring back most U.S. troops from Afghanistan, end support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen and focus efforts in the region on defeating al-Qaida and ISIS.
Biden also said he would restore daily press briefings at the White House and departments of State and Defense that the Trump administration has severely curtailed.
The former Delaware lawmaker has been involved in foreign policy throughout his political career as a longtime member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and its top Democrat for more than a decade before taking on an even bigger role in the Obama administration.
But focusing on his international expertise might not bring much political gain: In June, just 3% of Americans surveyed by Gallup said foreign policy and national security-related issues were the country’s most important problem. Biden has already come under fire from some of his rivals as the only candidate in the race who voted in 2002 to authorize the use of force in Iraq. The other 2020 contender who was in Congress at the time, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, was against military action.
And rivals are likely to point out that Obama didn’t always follow Biden’s foreign policy advice. In 2009, the president sided with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Biden in approving a troop surge in Afghanistan. Biden urged Obama not to go forward with the May 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden. But Obama approved the mission, which Biden has since touted as an accomplishment of their administration.
Biden didn’t point to any major breaks from the Obama era. Asked how Biden’s approach would differ, an official said the former vice president would need to address new challenges around the world and would put an especially strong emphasis on fighting climate change, including by re-entering the Paris climate agreement and pushing countries to make commitments that go beyond that pact.