WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Monday met virtually with President-elect Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. The two discussed the need to rebuild the U.S. Department of State, how the U.S. can revitalize diplomacy in the post-Trump era, and restoring Congress’s role in foreign policy. Murphy released the following statement after their discussion:
“I’ve said from the start that Tony Blinken is an A+ choice for Secretary of State because of his experience and his willingness to make sure progressive ideas are included in President-elect Biden’s foreign policy agenda,” said Murphy. “I‘ve been talking to Tony throughout the campaign and since the election about my belief that U.S. foreign policy has become too sclerotic. We have become overly reliant on sanctions to punish our enemies and arm sales to reward our partners, and we need to build a more effective toolkit to make ourselves more competitive on the world stage. The State Department is going to need a dramatic budget increase in order to do that. We had a good discussion today about this, and the many pressing foreign policy issues we will face as Trump leaves office.”
Murphy continued: “Repairing relationships abroad, rejoining international agreements and tackling major global issues like climate change and trade will be a Herculean task, and I know Tony can meet these challenges head on. I look forward to continuing to work together to make sure our progressive ideas are heard and that Congress plays a positive role in rebuilding an effective and strategic foreign policy toolkit to meet the challenges we face today.”
Murphy also raised the need to de-securitize relationships in the Middle East—specifically focusing on the latest proposed arms sale to the United Arab Emirates; how the United States can take a harder line with United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to end the war in Yemen; the need for a new Asia Pacific trade agreement to effectively counter China; and the need for a coordinated, global response to tackle COVID-19.
Last month, Murphy praised Blinken’s nomination for Secretary of State. Murphy also joined Crooked Media’s Pod Save the Worldand Yahoo New’s Skullduggery to discuss Blinken’s nomination.
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