Mark Kelly

(D-AZ)
A first-time office holder, former U.S. Navy pilot, Gulf War combat veteran, and NASA Astronaut, Senator-elect Mark Kelly is no stranger to national security and foreign policy. Senator-elect Kelly has called for a robust role for the United States on the world stage , pledging that he will work to ensure the United States “remains a global leader and that our allies know that they can continue to trust us.” He says his foreign policy perspective is rooted in his military deployments to the Arabian Gulf, which he has described as giving him “valuable” insights into foreign policy decisions, “particularly in the Middle East.”

A a supporter of a strong military, Senator-elect Kelly has said he believes “first and foremost” in the value of diplomacy . Kelly’s proposed elevation of diplomacy is a key component of his strategy to meet China’s global influence, where he has called for using “diplomatic tools,” along with American allies, to counter China.

A strong supporter of America’s international alliances and multilateral engagement to solve global challenges and threats like climate change, Senator-elect Kelly has said “Our country is at its strongest when we work closely with our allies to achieve our foreign policy goals…I’m concerned that the United States has stepped back from its leadership role in the world by abandoning critical international agreements. He considers climate change to be one of these national security issues and called the decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accords “irresponsible.”

On America’s global health programs, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Senator-elect Kelly called for greater partnership and resources to combat the pandemic. He previously said, “This is a worldwide crisis and a pandemic, and the best thing we can do right now is marshal all the resources we have and fight this thing as a team.”

On America’s global economic engagement , Senator-elect Kelly has highlighted the benefits of international trade and markets to the success of Arizona’s economy. Senator-elect Kelly has said “increasing opportunity in Arizona means supporting economic drivers like trade, tourism and the military.”

Senator-elect Kelly served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years flying 39 combat missions, before serving as a NASA astronaut until his retirement in 2011. He has traveled internationally to Russia, Kazakhstan, Israel, and China where he met his wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, in 2003 at a National Committee on U.S.-China relations exchange program.

USGLC’s Arizona Advisory Committee members met with Senator-elect Kelly during the campaign to discuss America’s global leadership and role of international development and diplomacy.

John Hickenlooper

(D-CO)
A geologist turned brewery entrepreneur, Senator-elect John Hickenlooper comes to Washington after having been elected Governor of Colorado and Mayor of Denver, serving the Centennial state in public office for 16 years. Hickenlooper has been a vocal proponent of America’s global leadership, going so far as to describe government’s most profound obligation as “protecting our national security.”

Senator-elect Hickenlooper has detailed a four-pillar vision to his foreign policy approach, which is built from his experience as a Governor, Mayor, and small business leader, and includes, “a clear-eyed identification of our threats and a willingness to honestly confront them as a united country; strengthening our global alliances and partnerships; modernizing our military, defense, and intelligence capabilities to face longstanding and new challenges; and realigning foreign policy to once again reflect American leadership.” During his 2020 presidential campaign, Hickenlooper extolled the value of the U.S. role in the world, calling it a “beacon for democracy and human dignity” and warning that “an isolated America is a weaker America.”

A strong supporter of America’s diplomatic toolkit, Senator-elect Hickenlooper has called diplomacy “critical” and highlighted the return on investment from a robust role for the U.S. in the world, saying, “Decades of American leadership and diplomacy have created a safer and more prosperous world.” He has called for a robust State Department, saying that America’s diplomatic, military, and intelligence capabilities must remain, “the strongest and most respected in the world.”

Hickenlooper was critical of the termination of American aid to the Northern Triangle countries, recently pledging to, “fully restore humanitarian and security aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador,” and arguing that the root causes of migration should be addressed to prevent migration, saying, “investing and putting a larger effort into stabilizing those Northern Triangle countries. …it’s a relatively minute amount of money if you look at it on a diplomatic basis to really give their economies a jolt so people aren’t trying to get away.”

Speaking on global health and pandemic preparedness prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hickenlooper noted that pandemics and health emergencies are truly global issues requiring U.S. leadership, saying global health emergencies, “cannot be addressed in isolation” and “require constant engagement.” Calling climate change “a defining challenge of our time” while serving as governor of Colorado, Hickenlooper signed an executive order committing the state to the U.S. Climate Alliance, an effort at the state-level to promote the goals of the Paris Climate Accord.

A former Chair of the National Governors Association, while serving as Colorado’s Chief Executive, Hickenlooper participated in trade missions to India, Japan, China, Turkey, and Israel. The USGLC briefed Senator-elect Hickenlooper directly during the campaign.

USGLC’s Colorado Advisory Committee members met with Senator-elect Hickenlooper during the campaign to discuss America’s global leadership and the role of international development and diplomacy.

Jon Ossoff

(D-GA)
No stranger to foreign policy issues on Capitol Hill, Senator-elect Jon Ossoff comes to the U.S. Senate after serving as a congressional aide and, later, CEO of an investigative documentary company focused on organized crime and political corruption. The descendant of Holocaust survivors, Senator-elect Ossoff has said that his ancestry has profoundly impacted his worldview, one in which the U.S. should pursue a “tough, smart foreign policy that protects our national security while avoiding reckless, destabilizing missteps.”

A strong and vocal supporter of America’s global engagement, Ossoff has been critical of what he has called a “weak trajectory of U.S. foreign policy,” described as not upholding commitments to alliances, and relinquishing U.S. global leadership in the fight against climate change by withdrawing from international climate agreements. A proponent of a values-based U.S. foreign policy that balances values and interests, Senator-elect Ossoff has asserted that America has too often compromised national values in favor of perceived interests.

Senator-elect Ossoff has expressed support for America’s global alliances, calling NATO “essential to our national security,” and has expressed alarm increased nationalism and authoritarianism around the world. Senator-elect Ossoff has said the U.S. must “confront and defeat authoritarianism and strengthen human rights – not as a cynical pretext for intervention or a diplomatic bludgeon, but as a bulwark against surging nationalism, authoritarianism, and corruption that threaten us all.” Arguing to elevate human rights and humanitarian values in U.S. international priorities, Ossoff said “there are U.S. officials around the world and throughout our history who have come to the aid of those facing persecution because they rightly understand that is a core part of national identity.”

On America’s global health commitments, Senator-elect Ossoff called the U.S. decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization “astonishingly foolish and unethical.”

Senator-elect Ossoff began his career as staffer to U.S. Representative Hank Johnson (D-GA), where he served for five years focusing on foreign affairs, defense, and counterterrorism issues, and on Africa. He traveled abroad on several congressional delegations, including trips to Turkey, as well as Liberia and Ghana as part of a 2012 CARE trip with U.S. international development investments run by USAID, the Peace Corps, and Save the Children.

Senator-elect Ossoff is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and earned a Master’s degree from the London School of Economics, where he wrote his thesis on U.S.-China relations.

Raphael Warnock

(D-GA)
Preaching from the same pulpit as Dr. Martin Luther King, Senator-elect Rev. Raphael Warnock is the senior pastor of “America’s Freedom Church” — the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. He has led the congregation since 2005 when, at age 35, he became the church’s youngest senior pastor since its founding in 1886. Although much of his senatorial campaign has focused on domestic issues around racial and economic justice, Warnock has detailed a national security vision rooted in elevating the role of diplomacy, calling it the “first, best resort” to advancing America’s values around the world.

Senator-elect Warnock has advocated for greater U.S. leadership in addressing climate change and has said climate justice is guided by his faith and belief that “the Earth is the Lord’s…we must be stewards of the earth our children will inherit.” He supports rejoining the Paris Climate agreement and has noted the disproportionate impact of climate change on those least well-off, saying “harm to the planet often causes those who can least afford it to experience the most tragic consequences, often communities of color and lower income populations.” He hosted a 2019 interfaith meeting on climate change featuring former Vice President Al Gore.

Senator-elect Warnock has traveled overseas to developing countries, including leading global mission trips “providing finances to dig wells in Haiti and sponsoring humanitarian trips to Africa.” Warnock has been described as an activist for “world peace and small democracies” and has said “Africa is the reason why America is already great. It gave America its jazz, its blues, its arts, much of its scientific insight.”

His church has also conducted trainings around human trafficking prevention and awareness in collaboration with the International Human Trafficking Institute.

Ben Ray Lujan

(D-NM)
A five-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator-elect Ben Ray Lujan enters the U.S. Senate with a strong and consistent record of supporting America’s global leadership, saying “The United States is stronger and safer when we prioritize principled, rational, and prudent policies that match our values…our policies should protect Americans, promote democracy.” Advocating a holistic approach utilizing all the tools of national power, Senator-elect Lujan has called for a foreign policy that “prioritizes democracy, diplomacy, development, in addition to defense.”

During his tenure in Congress, Senator-elect Lujan supported several international development and diplomacy programs and pieces of legislation. On supporting the rights of women and girls, he supported the creation of a senior coordinator for gender equality and women’s empowerment at USAID and cosponsored the Girls Count Act of 2014.

On global education, Senator-elect Lujan has been supportive of expanded access to education in developing countries, having cosponsored the Education for All Act. On Africa, he voted for the Electrify Africa Act, and on global health programs, cosponsored legislation to improve nutrition for pregnant women and children, as well as legislation reiterating U.S. support to GAVI and the Global Fund. On democracy promotion, he voted for the PEACE Act, and has spoken on the House floor regarding the importance of efforts to combat human and sex trafficking, especially for those “fleeing extreme violence in Central America.”

A vocal supporter of resources for international development and diplomacy programs, Senator-elect Lujan has also been critical of recent decisions to terminate American aid. He was critical of the termination of aid to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras saying the U.S. should be “working with those countries” addressing violence that is causing people to flee, and signaling the need for more resources for humanitarian programs in the region.

On America’s international alliances and multilateral organizations, Senator-elect Lujan has called for greater U.S. engagement to solve global challenges, Senator-elect Lujan has said “The U.S. has a leading role to play in the global community, working with allies to address humanitarian crises as well as threats to national security…It is important that the United States continues to work with its NATO allies.” Supporting greater U.S. efforts in combatting climate change, he was critical of the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate agreement, saying the decision alienates our allies and undermines U.S. global leadership.

On other foreign policy issues, Senator-elect Lujan has participated in several overseas congressional delegations during his time in Congress, including to Iraq, Afghanistan, Mexico, and Israel. Prior to joining the U.S. Senate, Lujan represented New Mexico’s 3^rd congressional district since 2009, during which he was selected as an Assistant Speaker of the House, making him the highest-ranking Hispanic Member in Congress.

USGLC’s New Mexico Advisory Committee members met with Senator-elect Lujan to discuss America’s global leadership and role for international development and diplomacy programs.