Advancing a Strong, Smart Foreign Policy
Congressman Ted Deutch is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism Subcommittee. Ted is committed to working across the aisle in the 117th Congress to promote a strong and smart foreign policy that protects our national security and advances human rights around the globe.
Preventing a Nuclear-Armed Iran
Congressman Deutch is deeply engaged in issues related to Iran’s illicit nuclear weapons program and believes that a nuclear-armed Iran poses an unacceptable threat to the United States, Israel, and the world. Before his election to Congress in 2010, Ted gained national recognition for his work in the Florida State Senate passing the nation’s first law divesting public pension funds from Iran. Ted’s work on Iran sanctions led him to testify before Congress on divestment, hold strategy discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and eventually pass his own legislation cracking down on companies that financially support Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Ted has consistently used his voice and vote to make clear his categorical opposition to Iran possessing a nuclear weapons program. He was an original co-sponsor of the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act in the 113th Congress, which intensified economic pressure on the Iranian regime. He opposed the Iran nuclear agreement, and is committed to ensuring the strictest implementation and verification of the agreement going forward. Congressman Deutch introduced the Iran Sanctions Extension Act which made sure that the backbone of U.S. sanctions policy remains intact in the event that the nuclear agreement is violated and sanctions must be snapped back into place.
In addition, Ted remains committed to preventing the Iranian regime from spreading terrorism around the world, pursuing ballistic missile capabilities, and abusing the basic human rights of its people. Ted introduced the bipartisan Zero Tolerance for Terror Act which seeks to swiftly impose sanctions on Iran for its support of terrorism and its illegal ballistic missile activity. His bill to impose sanctions on Iran’s proxy Hezbollah was signed into law in December 2015.
Human Rights
Congressman Deutch has worked on global human rights issues since his days as a student at the University of Michigan, where he actively protested the repression of Jewish communities by the Soviet Union and advocated for their right to leave the country. As a member of Congress, Ted has used his position on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to combat human rights violations wherever they may occur. He has worked to shed light on the dire humanitarian crisis in Syria that has displaced millions of families, co-introduced the Venezuelan Human Rights and Democracy Protection Act, and introduced congressional resolutions condemning the use of human shields by the terrorist group Hamas. He cosponsored the North Korea Sanctions Enforcement Act, which imposed additional financial pressure on the North Korean government for its egregious human rights abuses against its own people. Ted was also a co-sponsor of the Sudan Peace, Security, and Accountability Act, which called on the Administration to take a more comprehensive approach to address the humanitarian and human rights crises in Sudan.
Afghanistan
Congressman Ted Deutch is deeply grateful to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have served in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001. The heroism and commitment displayed by our troops in Afghanistan proved instrumental to U.S. efforts to dismantle al Qaeda’s central leadership, create stability for the Afghan people, and set the stage for Afghanistan’s first democratic transfer of power.
After more than a decade of conflict, Ted strongly supported President Obama’s proposal to end combat operations in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and provide the Afghan people the opportunity to determine the future of their own country. Mindful of the significant challenges remaining in Afghanistan, Ted has outlined several areas of ongoing concern, including the effectiveness of Afghan security forces and the willingness of government leaders to adopt much-needed civil and democratic reforms. Given the recent incursions by ISIS-aligned fighters in Afghanistan and the resurgence of Taliban activity, Ted supported the 2016 decision to delay the withdrawal of some U.S. troops in order to continue counterterrorism activities. However, the ultimate security of Afghanistan must be maintained by Afghan security forces.
As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee whose jurisdiction includes Afghanistan, Ted will continue to perform oversight related to U.S. spending and troop presence there during the 117th Congress.
Israel
Congressman Ted Deutch is a passionate and outspoken advocate for Israel. A lifelong activist in the pro-Israel community, Ted has successfully spearheaded efforts in Congress to strengthen Israel’s security, combat anti-Israel bias, and enhance cooperation between Israel and the United States.