Author's Posts
Political violence undermines our democracy
November 7th, 20250 I was in Congress for 34 years. During that time, I attended scores, possibly hundreds of public events. They were held in all kinds of places, in nearly every circumstance that you can imagine. I can recall only one incident of potential violence. There were sometimes heated disagreements, but almost never did people reject the...
The United Nation needs American leadership
October 9th, 20250 President Trump got one thing right in his combative speech to the United Nations General Assembly last month. The U.N., he said, had such great promise, but it has failed to live up to its potential. Few reasonable people would disagree. But Trump’s approach to the organization’s perceived failures is exactly wrong. Insulting its...
Renaming Defense Department sends wrong message
September 25th, 20250 Congress created the United States Department of Defense in 1949 as part of a comprehensive effort to modernize the military and adapt to the international order that was taking shape after World War II. Now President Trump wants to change its name to the Department of War, its former name. That’s a mistake. National defense is and...
Declining trust threatens democracy
August 29th, 20250 Americans trust each other less than we used to, and that’s creating problems for our ability to govern ourselves. Ultimately, it raises questions about the future of our democracy. A recent report from the Pew Research Center explains the dilemma. Trust, it says, is “the oil that lubricates the frictions of daily life.” We need...
It’s time to replace the War Powers Act
July 18th, 20250 Many Democrats and some Republicans expressed alarm last month when President Trump ordered attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Most Americans agree that Iran shouldn’t develop nuclear weapons, but was joining Israel in attacking Iran the best way to stop it? Would the strikes risk a wider Middle East war? Should Congress have been...
America’s worsening image should be a concern
July 5th, 20250 America’s image in much of the world is getting worse, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. That should be a concern for Americans. Our image affects our effectiveness as a world leader and our ability to advance our national interests. The survey, conducted this year, found that people in other countries were...
The U.S. benefits from international students
June 18th, 20250 More than 1.1 million international students are enrolled at American colleges and universities. They contribute greatly to our nation’s economic and intellectual well-being. Their presence confirms that our higher education system is the envy of the world. It’s worrisome to see our leaders pursuing policies that will make it...
Our country needs effective leadership
May 23rd, 20250 I do not remember being as concerned about the quality of our political leadership and the direction our leaders want to take the country as I am today. If you look at the places where we expect strong leadership – the courts, the Congress and, especially, the president – it’s hard not to be disappointed. And our country needs...
Lincoln’s speeches glimpsed the future
April 25th, 20250 When Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office for his second term as president, the United States was divided as never before or since. The Civil War had killed over 600,000 Americans, North and South. The end of the war was in sight, but bitterness remained. Lincoln could have celebrated the Union’s approaching victory or claimed a...
Reform foreign aid; don’t abandon it
April 11th, 20250 Foreign aid is an easy target when people say they want to cut government spending. It makes sense that we should take care of Americans who are struggling before we share resources with other countries. Charity begins at home, as they say. That may help explain why President Trump and his adviser Elon Musk, when they set out to...
Carter was our “best ex-president”
January 26th, 20250 Jimmy Carter spent four years as president of the United States and 44 years as ex-president. It’s his extraordinary career as our former president that we are most likely to celebrate. Prior to Carter, former presidents were likely to go off to a comfortable retirement. Carter, who died last month at 100, changed the pattern. He...
Most Americans aren’t obsessed with politics
December 6th, 20240 The 2024 election is over, but the arguments about what it means are continuing. Did Donald Trump and the Republican Party win a mandate to govern as they wish? Did Democrats try too hard to appeal to their political base? Or not hard enough? But drawing conclusions about the meaning of an election, especially about what it says about...
Don’t expect predictable foreign policy in Trump’s second term
November 22nd, 20240 The voters have spoken, and Donald J. Trump will be the 47th president of the United States. With a Republican-controlled Senate and strong backing in the House, Trump will be in position to implement his agenda, starting in January. What does that mean for foreign policy? It’s hard to say with certainty. In Trump’s first term, from...
Trump shooting was shocking, but not surprising
August 2nd, 20240 The recent attempt to assassinate Donald Trump was shocking. The former president and Republican presidential candidate was struck in the ear when a gunman fired shots at a rally in Pennsylvania. One person in the audience was killed and two were wounded. But we can’t really say the shooting was surprising. We ought not to fool...
Americans have lost trust in government
June 7th, 20240 Americans are more dissatisfied with their government than the citizens of any other major democracy, according to an analysis by the Washington Post. And we seem to be growing more skeptical of government every year. In 1964, when I was first elected to Congress, nearly 80 percent of Americans trusted government to do the right thing......
The U.S. is no longer the dominant superpower
May 24th, 20240 It was an article of faith, through most of my life, that the United States was the world’s dominant power. We had the most powerful military, the biggest and most vibrant economy and the most influential culture. For better or worse, we were the envy of the world. If we’re honest, we have to admit that’s no longer the case....
Immigrants drive U.S. economy
March 15th, 20240 The American economy is thriving, and immigration should get some of the credit. That’s the message from experts who highlight the critical role that immigrants are playing in the workforce. This may seem surprising when immigration is under attack and chaos at the border is a staple of political rhetoric. But immigrants are filling......
U.S. Foreign policy rises in public attention
January 31st, 20240 Americans seem to be more interested in foreign policy than usual. Four in 10 U.S. adults named it as an important issue to address in 2024, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. That’s twice as many as a year earlier. That sounds right to me. From what I can tell, Americans are paying...
Kissinger left complex foreign policy legacy
December 21st, 20230 Possibly no one had more influence on American foreign policy in the late 20th century than Henry Kissinger, who died last month at age 100. In his long and active career, he advised presidents, carried out policies and initiatives and was a highly visible figure around the world. While it’s early to pronounce judgment on his...
“Greatest nation” debates aren’t helpful
September 27th, 20230 Is the United States the greatest nation in the world? It’s a natural question to ask, given our penchant for displays of patriotism and our debates about American exceptionalism. But I don’t much like the question. Talking about how American greatness isn’t a very helpful exercise. It doesn’t do anything to make our country...
Opinion: Faith in democracy is vital
August 18th, 20230 Americans are pessimistic about our democracy, according to a recent poll. It’s a worrisome finding. Of course, it’s easy to watch the news and conclude our government isn’t working. But we must not get to the point where we think we can’t solve our problems in a democratic fashion. That’s a danger line. The poll, by The......
Russian uprising caught everyone by surprise, remains a mystery
July 5th, 20230 Recent events in Russia have been surprising, even shocking. When the private army employed by Russia’s Wagner Group left Ukraine and moved toward Moscow last month, it caught everyone by surprise. We’re used to thinking of Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a dictator who has complete control of his country. Maybe he does, but the...
Immigration policy should serve America’s interests
May 24th, 20230 All eyes have been on the U.S.-Mexico border in recent weeks as politicians and pundits assess the impact of changing rules for who can enter the United States. But the fixation on the border can distract from a bigger problem: America’s immigration system hasn’t kept up with the times. We need an immigration policy that advances......
India’s rise brings challenges, opportunity
May 11th, 20230 India is surpassing China to become the world’s most populous nation, according to data from the United Nations. This is a significant development with more than symbolic importance. India, with its huge, diverse population and its growing economy, is poised to play a leading role in global affairs. It’s also a key U.S. ally, but...
U.S. House dysfunction is cause for alarm
January 22nd, 20230 Like many Americans, I watched with dismay this month as the House of Representatives struggled through 15 votes over four days to select a new speaker. The sense of dysfunction was remarkable. Anyone watching might well have wondered about our ability to govern ourselves. For a week, there was no speaker to call the House to order.......
