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Sen. Murphy Spells Out Foreign Policy Vision For New York Magazine

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) believes that while a strong military plays an important role in protecting American interests across the globe, the United States needs to use other tools in its belt to deal with 21st century problems around the world.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy has outlined what he believes should be progressives' priorities when addressing foreign policy issues.

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy has outlined what he believes should be progressives' priorities when addressing foreign policy issues.

Photo Credit: Jay Polansky

In an interview with New York Magazine, Murphy lays out some of his vision for how a progressive foreign policy would deal dilemmas seen around the world in countries such as Syria, Yemen, Israel and Russia. He discusses many components of his foreign policy plan released last month, "Rethinking the Battlefield," in which he addresses how the United States can face its foreign affairs challenges in a changing world.

Murphy was critical of President Donald Trump's strike against Syria last month, and while many Democratic politicians praised the action, New York Magazine says that most Democrats opposed the decision to use force against Bashar al-Assad. With the Democratic Party struggling to find a cohesive foreign policy vision, Murphy discusses in his interview how his idea of a progressive foreign policy would bolster military restraint with increases in diplomacy and foreign aid.

"I don't think a progressive foreign policy is about stealing money from the military in order to fund nonmilitary power. I just think we have badly underresourced the ways in which America projects its power through non-kinetic means," Murphy told New York Magazine. "Now progressive foreign policy also has other components to it. You shouldn't be engaging in military force without the support of the American public and the authorization of Congress. Progressive foreign policy also believes in international institutions and the value of doing things in a multilateral fashion."

The New York Magazine piece also addresses issues such as Murphy's views on the United States' support of Saudi Arabia, balancing the sometimes conflicting goals of supporting human rights while keeping America safe, and his belief that there should be more oversight on drone strikes.

Click here to read the New York Magazine story.

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