JOHNSON, WILSON UNVEIL RSC NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

JOHNSON, WILSON UNVEIL RSC NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

Proposal offers 130+ solutions to counter China, Russia, Iran and other U.S. adversaries

WASHINGTON – Today, the Republican Study Committee (RSC) – the largest caucus of conservatives in the House of Representatives – released The RSC National Security Strategy: Strengthening America & Countering Global Threats (click here to view the full proposal). Spearheaded by RSC Chairman Mike Johnson (LA-04) and RSC National Security & Foreign Affairs Task Force Chairman Joe Wilson (SC-02), the proposal is a conservative, solutions-oriented plan for preserving American leadership around the globe and promoting a U.S. foreign policy that advances the interests of the American people at home and abroad.

The product of over 1.5 years of policy development, The RSC National Security Strategy offers over 130 solutions to counter America's most aggressive global adversaries, including the TOUGHEST SANCTIONS EVER PROPOSED by Congress against the Chinese Communist Party, Russia and the Putin regime, and Iran. The proposal also includes commonsense, result-oriented reforms to counter authoritarian influence within the United Nations (U.N.), ensure U.S. foreign aid is working to promote American interests and values, and modernize U.S. diplomacy and the State Department.

To view a detailed summary of The RSC National Security, click here or scroll to the bottom of the page.

"With the release of the RSC National Security Strategy, conservatives are making crystal clear to both our allies and adversaries that we are committed to standing for America's core principles of liberty, human rights, free markets and maintaining peace through strength, and against authoritarianism and aggression," Johnson said. "It's time for America to fully reclaim its role as the greatest force for good the world has ever known. Undoing the damage inflicted by eight years of failed policies under President Obama isn't easy but it is straightforward. Congress must follow President Trump's lead and advance a foreign policy that embraces the things that make us great – our leadership, and, most importantly, our values. With this plan, we have delivered a smart and effective blueprint for accomplishing those objectives."

"As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee National Security and Foreign Affairs Task Force, I have worked for over a year meeting with top experts on foreign affairs for focused conservative solutions to the frustrating foreign policy challenges in the world. I am grateful that this effort has led to our package of over 130 policy proposals for Congress, tackling many important issues," Wilson said. "President Donald Trump has restored American credibility in the world after eight years of weakness and withdrawal during the Obama Administration which coddled dictators and abandoned our allies. In the past year, I've visited with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, and with officials in London and Washington. I have seen firsthand appreciation of President Donald Trump's success promoting our alliances. American leadership is needed now, more than ever. The U.S.-led order based in freedom, human rights, and rule of law is at risk from China, Russia, Iran, and others. This package of tough but targeted proposals would impose the toughest sanctions on the Chinese Communist Party, Russia, and Iran in history and reassert Congress' role in foreign policy. I look forward to continuing to work to push these vital initiatives to support President Trump's efforts to keep our country safe and strong."

SUMMARY

The RSC National Security Strategy:

Strengthening America & Countering Global Threats

Communist China: A New Strategy for Countering America's Top Threat

• Preserving American leadership: The strategy stands up to the Chinese Communist Party's attempts to reorient today's world order to one based in authoritarianism by standing strongly for American values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and open markets.
• A tough but targeted approach to China: The strategy offers the toughest package of sanctions ever proposed by Congress on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It would specifically sanction the entire United Front Work Department and senior CCP leaders, including members of the Politburo for their malign influence campaigns, internment of Uyghurs, and assault on Hong Kong. The strategy proposes targeted measures rather than broad-based tariffs that may hurt the U.S. economy.
• A multifaceted strategy to protect American innovation and ideas: The strategy would enhance U.S. laws safeguarding American intellectual property (IP), modernize the Foreign Asset Registration Act (FARA), block Chinese propaganda efforts, and ensure a whole-of-government effort to stop the transfer of critical technology to China.
• Bold free trade expansion around the world: The strategy proposes bilateral free trade agreements with democratic partners facing increasing threat or malign influence from China, including Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Brazil, Kenya, and others.

Russia: Rolling Back Aggression Through a Strategy of Deterrence

• Stopping Putin's aggression: The strategy offers the toughest package of sanctions on Russia ever proposed by Congress, including secondary sanctions on Russian oil and gas projects, sanctions on Russian sovereign debt, sanctions on Russian proxies in other countries, and designating Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.
• Communicate with the Russian people: The strategy would call for the creation of a strategy to communicate directly to the Russian people and support their aspirations for democracy and human rights.

Advancing American Interests in the Middle East: Confronting Iran & the Jihadi Terrorist

Movement

• Enhancing the President's maximum pressure campaign on Iran: The strategy proposes the toughest sanctions on Iran ever proposed by Congress. It codifies many of the President's successful efforts into law, blocks additional sectors of Iran's economy, and sanctions Iran's regional proxies, including its militias in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, the Assad regime in Syria, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
• Deplete the resources of Iranian proxies: The strategy would prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding Iran's proxies in Lebanon and Iraq by ending aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Iraqi Ministry of Interior.
• A new clear authorization to pursue terrorist groups: The strategy pushes back against House Democrats' efforts to limit the President's war powers by offering for consideration a new AUMF that would allow the President to go after any State Department designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
• Directly confronting the Salafi-jihadi ideological movement: The strategy would prevent the creation of Salafi-jihadi safe havens and cut off financing and state support for associated groups. It would codify President Trump's efforts to deplete terrorist's resources and designate additional terrorist organizations.

Maintaining an International Order Based on American Values

• Elevating human rights and democracy: The strategy would elevate these values in American foreign policy by strengthening human rights sanctions and codifying the Ministerial on Religious Freedom. It would support Secretary Pompeo's Commission on Unalienable Rights and reject attempts by international organizations to redefine human rights and curtail economic and religious liberties.
• Competing to win at the U.N. and other multilateral organizations: The strategy would counter China and Russia's efforts to control international bodies. It would also urge Congress to support President Trump's efforts to withdraw from irreparable organizations and replace them with new mechanisms of multilateral cooperation with democratic countries.
• Promoting accountability at the U.N.: The strategy would mandate that U.S. Ambassadors meet annually with their host governments to discuss that country's voting record at the U.N. It would also audit the use of U.S. funding by the U.N. and condition funding to U.N. bodies on implementation of accountability reforms. The U.N. must cut off assistance to dictatorships such as humanitarian aid that is being diverted to the Assad regime in Syria.

Results-Oriented Approach to Foreign Aid and International Diplomacy

• Aligning U.S. foreign aid with U.S. foreign policy: The strategy would help assistance reach more people while better advancing our international interests. It supports replacing the Foreign Assistance Act with new legislation reducing legislative directives for foreign assistance, placing the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) inside the Department of State, and empowering Ambassadors to have a stronger role in administering foreign aid.
• Modernizing the Department of State: The strategy would strengthen diplomacy by ensuring the State Department concentrates on its core competencies. It supports replacing the Foreign Service with a new diplomatic corps rooted in merit rather than tenure, as well as eliminating duplicative bureaus and programs, and elevating human rights, democracy, and multilateral affairs.
• Strengthening public diplomacy, international broadcasting, and counter disinformation efforts: The strategy would reconstitute the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) and empower it with U.S. public diplomacy and counter disinformation efforts. The USIA's mission would be to promote American ideals of democracy, human rights, and open markets, and undermine U.S. adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and others. The USIA would be able to contract with private entities to assist in counter-disinformation efforts.