Dear Karen,
Sen. Dick Durbin just urged the U.S. government to invest in preventing conflicts before they break out. Today, he signed on as an original cosponsor of the Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act, key legislation that supports structures and funding to help prevent the worst kinds of violence before they happen.
Thank Sen. Durbin for his leadership on genocide and atrocities prevention.
The Trump administration’s first statements about foreign policy have focused on military power rather than investments in shared security. With this legislation, senators from both major political parties are urging the administration to move quickly to protect the U.S. capacity for atrocities prevention.
Specifically, the legislation requires forward-looking interagency cooperation to address atrocities before they happen, flexible funding, training for foreign service officers, and better intelligence to identify potential atrocity risks.
Foreign policy experts and military leaders agree that military force won’t prevent violence. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, head of U.S. Command in Africa, told senators in March, “We could knock off all of ISIL and Boko Haram this afternoon, but by the end of the week, those ranks would be filled. Many people, especially those in uniform, have said we can’t kill our way to victory here.”
At a time when the U.S. is facing multiple foreign policy crises, the U.S. should increase investment in the cost-effective programs that promote diplomacy, development, and international cooperation. We need more tools in our foreign policy toolbox, not fewer.
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Sincerely, Allyson Neville Legislative Associate |
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About the Legislation
