Peace through diplomacy, not Twitter jabs  

Dear Friends,

North Korea continues to dominate much of the news cycle. The regime has not just tested a nuclear bomb and intercontinental ballistic missiles, it’s testing American patience and resolve. The North Korea problem is not going away any time soon. It is a crisis that has been building for years and one that must be dealt with directly and carefully.

I vehemently disagree with Trump's approach to the North Korea problem. In my view, he continues his failure of American leadership when it comes to Pyongyang. I believe his use of inflammatory rhetoric increases the national security risk to the United Sates and our allies. His statements have escalated tensions, increased the potential for accidental conflict, and served only to embolden the regime. During his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, he stated that the United States may have no choice but to “totally destroy North Korea.”

That’s why, earlier this year, I joined my colleague Rep. Ted Lieu to introduce H.R. 669, the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act. This bill would prohibit any president from conducting a first-use nuclear strike without authorization from Congress. Such a monumental decision that could lead to the deaths of hundreds of millions of people should NEVER be made by one person alone.

Through its policies, I believe the administration has also surrendered American leadership with its disdain for carefully crafted nuclear nonproliferation agreements – sending a clear signal to Pyongyang that it makes no sense to negotiate with the United States. Take Trump's decision last month to decertify the accord America reached with Iran and five major world powers to curb Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

If he turns his back on an agreement that Iran has upheld, why would North Korea negotiate with the United States? This is a very serious situation that needs careful diplomacy and strategic action, not school-yard bullying.

To deal with North Korea, we should go as far as we can with sanctions to increase pressure on the regime. Yet, the North Koreans have proven adept at developing techniques to evade them and have marched forward. I believe the administration must ultimately recognize and embrace the best way to deal with difficult countries like North Korea and Iran: a strong, multilateral, diplomatic approach.

Over 80 percent of Americans support diplomacy with North Korea. And no one wants to see a nuclear war. Whether it’s working with international partners to pursue multilateral negotiations, or establishing a private, diplomatic back-channel to reach an accord, diplomacy is the only path forward to safety, peace, and stability. This is what I’ll continue fighting for.

Courage, 

Earl Blumenauer

Member of Congress