Earlier this year, I was appointed to serve as the Chairman of a decades-old interparliamentary dialogue between various members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the European Parliament. In June, I led a 10 member, bi-partisan Congressional delegation to Stockholm, where we discussed with our European counterparts certain policy issues like agriculture, trade, China’s malign influence, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sweden’s accession to NATO, and other topics important to both Europe and America. This week, a delegation of Members of the European Parliament is in Washington, D.C. to continue the dialogue on those and other important topics like energy independence, artificial intelligence, and the security and stability of the Middle East considering the recent, atrocious attacks by Hamas on Israel.
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Chairman of this interparliamentary dialogue, it’s a privilege to represent the voice of East Texans in the exchange of ideas with foreign counterparts on matters important to both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Successful diplomacy and foreign relations can improve national security and readiness, avoid military conflict, bolster U.S. trade, and better equip our nation to take on totalitarian regimes who are becoming increasingly aggressive against the ideals of democracy, the rule of law, and the national security interests of the United States.
