National security

Note: This page is a reproduction of the Hillary for America policy proposal on national security. 

As secretary of state, Hillary Clinton worked to restore America’s leadership in the world after it was badly eroded by eight years of the Bush administration’s go-it-alone foreign policy. She oversaw significant accomplishments, from building a global coalition to impose crippling sanctions against Iran, to brokering a ceasefire in Gaza and protecting Israel, to supporting President Obama’s decision to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, and much more. Defending America and our core values is one of the cornerstones of Hillary’s campaign.

As president, Hillary will:

  • Ensure we are stronger at home. We are strongest overseas when we are strongest at home. That means investing in our infrastructure, education, and innovation—the fundamentals of a strong economy. She will also work to reduce income inequality, because our country can’t lead effectively when so many are struggling to provide the basics for their families.
  • Stick with our allies. From the Middle East and Asia to Europe and our own hemisphere, Hillary will strengthen the essential partnerships that are a unique source of America’s strength. Hillary knows that NATO is one of the best investments that America has ever made. And she’ll continue to support Israel’s ability to defend itself, including by ensuring its Qualitative Military Edge, and oppose efforts to marginalize Israel on the world stage while supporting efforts to bring about a two-state solution. Hillary also will invest in partnerships in Latin America, Africa, and Asia with people and nations who share our values and vision for the future.
  • Embrace all the tools of American power, especially diplomacy and development, to be on the front lines solving problems before they threaten us at home. Diplomacy is often the only way to avoid a conflict that could end up exacting a much greater cost. It takes patience, persistence, and an eye on the long game—but it’s worth it. This includes:
    • Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Hillary will vigorously enforce the nuclear agreement with Iran and implement a broader strategy to confront Iran’s bad behavior in the region, particularly the threat it poses to Israel.
    • Building stronger ties between Cubans and Americans. Hillary supports President Obama’s initiative to re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba and calls on Congress to lift the embargo, while continuing to press for reforms.
  • Be firm but wise with our rivals. Countries like Russia and China often work against us. Hillary has gone toe-to-toe with Russia and China and many other different leaders around the world. She knows we have to be able to both stand our ground when we must, and find common ground when we can.
    • Stand up to Vladimir Putin. Hillary has gone toe-to-toe with Putin before, and she’ll do it again. She’ll stand shoulder to shoulder with our European allies and push back on and deter Russian aggression in Europe and beyond, and increase the costs to Putin for his actions.
    • Hold China accountable. Hillary will work with allies to promote strong rules of the road and institutions in Asia, and press China to play by the rules—including in cyberspace, on currency, human rights, trade, territorial disputes, and climate change—and hold it accountable if it does not, while working with China where it is in our interest.
  • Have a real plan for confronting terrorists. The threat we face from terrorism is real, urgent, and knows no boundaries. Hillary has laid out a comprehensive plan to defeat ISIS by: taking out ISIS’s stronghold in Iraq and Syria, working with our allies to dismantle global terror networks, and hardening our defenses at home.

Hillary has a record of defending America and our core values:

  • She built the toughest sanctions regime in history on Iran—twisting arms in China, Russia, and dozens of other countries—to force Iran to the negotiating table. And when pressure started working, she sent her closest aides to explore a deal that would cut off Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon.
  • She personally negotiated an end to Hamas rockets raining down on Israel in 2012 and worked to build stronger defense programs for Israel, including upgrading the Iron Dome rocket defense system, which has saved the lives of so many Israelis.
  • She fought to make women’s rights a priority in international relations. She stood up against sex trafficking of women and children, intervened in Saudi Arabia to stop child marriage, and led the fight for a U.N. Security Council resolution to combat sexual violence against women and children around the world that passed unanimously.
  • She worked to ensure ratification of the New START treaty, which will make the world safer by reducing U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals to their smallest size in 50 years.