We have spent our entire lives at war. I was 13 years old when we went to war in Afghanistan and to Iraq for the second time. I'm about to be 30 and there's still no end in sight. Millennials like me have known more days that our nation's been at war than at peace. The military-industrial complex in our country is horrifyingly bloated, and our continued military interventionism has destabilized entire regions of the world. We spend more on our military than the next 8 countries combined, yet necessary social safety nets for everyday Americans are slashed every day. I believe that we must immediately enact the following solutions:

1. We must prioritize diplomacy over war. Our interventionist wars in the Middle East have cost thousands of servicemen and trillions of dollars, as well as the deaths of millions of civilians in the attacked countries, to little benefit in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. This must end.
2. End the Presidential Authorization for Use of Military Force that my opponent, Adam Smith, voted in. This will require all military action to be debated in Congress and include clearly defined goals and exit periods. War is serious, and we must follow a path that protects us from warmongers in office.
3. Close Guantanamo Bay, limit the National Security Agency's reach into American lives, abolish the unconstitutional use of torture, and remember the values of personal freedom that makes America truly exceptional.
4. Expand our global influence by promoting fair trade that protects workers rights, addressing global climate change, providing humanitarian relief and economic assistance alongside the United Nations, defending the rule of law, and promoting human rights.

The War on Terror

The invasion in Iraq was one of the worst foreign policy blunders in modern U.S. history. After ten years, 1.3 million Iraqi, Afghani, and Pakistani lives, as well as 6000 Americans, have been lost. This war has cost us $9.4 million per day. Let's spend that money taking care of our veterans, not endangering them.

Peace with Iran

I support the agreement between the U.S., Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia regulating Iran’s nuclear weapons program, because it has the best chance of limiting Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon while avoiding another war in the region.

Israel-Palestine Conflict

I agree with the UN resolution demanding an end to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli government must also end the blockade of Gaza, and cease developing settlements on Palestinian land. Both sides must negotiate in good faith regarding all other outstanding issues that stand in the way of a durable and lasting peace in the region. In the meantime, all sides must strictly adhere to the tenets of international humanitarian law in order to avoid escalating the conflict yet again.

Co-sponsor HR 4391 -- the Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act and fight to extend the protections to all Palestinians. This bill prohibits U.S. assistance to Israel from being used to support the military detention, interrogation, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in violation of international humanitarian law or the use against Palestinian children of: (1) torture, inhumane, or degrading treatment; (2) physical violence or psychological abuse; (3) incommunicado or administrative detention; (4) solitary confinement; (5) denial of parental or legal access during interrogations; or (6) force or coercion to obtain a confession.