Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs issues impact all of us and are important to my work in Congress.
In a time when war and conflict rage on every continent, I strongly believe that through dialogue and engagement we can make this world a cleaner, a greener, and a more peaceful place for generations to come.
The 5th Congressional District of Georgia boasts many outstanding collegiate, business, and cultural international exchange programs. One of the best ways to understand our neighbors is through people-to-people exchanges. Every year, I host a multicultural festival in Atlanta to highlight our diversity, explore our similarities, and celebrate our differences.
I am fully committed to making sure that we create a more peaceful global family. Since coming to Congress, I have been arrested four times for civil disobedience – twice at the South African Embassy protesting against apartheid, and twice protesting genocide in Darfur. We must stay vigilant in condemning violence and human rights abuses and responding to humanitarian disasters in every corner of the world -- from the Horn of Africa to human trafficking in the streets of Atlanta.
The fight for peace, democracy, equality, and liberty around the world is a never ending process. We must push others to achieve this standard, but remain vigilant about our own work. This is why I introduce a U.S. Recommitment to International Civil and Human Rights Resolution, which calls on the U.S. to ratify key, core, United Nations, and International Labour Organization conventions.
In addition to being a founding Member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I am also a Member of the following foreign affairs Congressional organizations -
- The Out of Afghanistan Caucus
- The Congressional Human Rights Caucus
- The Congressional Caucus on Human Trafficking
- The Democratic Israel Working Group
- The Bipartisan Taskforce on Non-Proliferation
- The Caucus on Hellenic Issues
- The Congressional Caucus on Indian and Indian Americans
- The Pakistan Caucus
- The Turkey Caucus
- The Friends of New Zealand Congressional Caucus
- The Global Road Safety Caucus
- The Congressional Black Caucus Afro-Latino Working Group
- The Congressional Black Caucus Foreign Affairs Taskforce