Stanton urges Democrats to leverage budget control to reshape US foreign policy

Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona has proposed that the Democratic Party should utilize its control over federal spending to fundamentally alter the United States' current foreign policy stance regarding Russia. Speaking on the program The Hill Sunday, Stanton discussed the strategic implications of the party's upcoming majority and how it can be used to check executive actions taken by the Trump administration.

The discussion was prompted by a question from host Chris Stirewalt regarding whether forcing a government shutdown would be an effective use of fiscal leverage. Stirewalt asked if such a measure could compel President Trump to reverse his waiver on Russian sanctions or to conclude the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Stanton responded by referencing the recently passed Lindsey Graham bill, named in honor of the late South Carolina senator. He noted that Congress had approved this bipartisan legislation to impose sanctions on Russia, but the president has unilaterally chosen not to enforce them. Stanton emphasized that Congress is an equal branch of government and should not be considered subservient to the executive branch when it comes to implementing such measures.

The context for this debate involves a controversial executive order signed by Trump in October. This order waived energy sanctions against Russia and the major buyers of Russian energy. Lawmakers had previously hoped that the enacted sanctions would limit Russian President Vladimir Putin's capacity to finance the war in Ukraine.

Stanton argued that the power of the purse should be actively used to change American foreign policy. He predicted that with Democrats holding the majority, the nation's policy will become more supportive of Ukraine. He further claimed that the executive waiver indicated that the president had shifted his position and become significantly more supportive of Putin.

The Arizona representative also criticized the silence of many Republican members of Congress who had previously supported Ukraine. He stated that their quietude allowed the policy shift to occur. Looking ahead, Stanton said that the new majority would see a significant change in funding priorities from the United States Congress.

The next major budget deadline is set for December 11. Ahead of this date, a group of senators, including Michael Bennet of Colorado, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, issued a joint statement. They declared their opposition to any short-term spending bill that does not include specific language restricting the administration from using appropriated funds to continue its war against Iran.

In defense of his decision, President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social that the sanctions would have completely halted hostage negotiations involving Russia. He added that the United States was not required to provide anything in return for the release of Stephen Hubbard, a US citizen who had been detained by Russian authorities.