National Security

California Democrats recognize that providing for the common defense of our nation is a foundational responsibility of the government of the United States. But national security includes an investment in diplomacy and should not solely rely on the might of our armed forces. Our party is committed to a foreign policy that holds the use of military force as the absolute last resort for national defense, used only when available diplomatic and preventative options have been exhausted.

We must do better to consider unintended consequences and the downstream effects of military engagement and to avoid unnecessary armed conflicts to keep America safe and strong, we must look at both international and domestic threats.

To preserve, protect and defend our country and the Constitution of the United States, California Democrats will:

1. Support efforts to strengthen our defense against cyber-threats to our national security and election security while protecting individual privacy rights and civil liberties;
2. Support efforts to stop endless wars by repealing both the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF);
3. Support enhancement of federal and state law enforcement capabilities to protect the public from extremist ideologies and foreign and domestic terrorism;
4. Support strong consumer data privacy legislation and the enhancement of federal and state law enforcement agency cybersecurity capabilities to protect Americans against identity theft;
5. Support efforts to audit spending by the U.S. Department of Defense and hold the Pentagon accountable for waste, fraud and abuse identified in independent audits;
6. Support efforts to prevent preemptive war and prevent presidential authorized military action without congressional approval;
7. Increase foreign non-military aid dedicated to improving anti-terrorism capabilities, law enforcement training, investigation, information exchange, and international cooperation;
8. Support a gradual and responsible reduction in the Department of Defense (DOD) budget in line with historic drawdowns after major conflicts;
9. Rebalance our national security portfolio to prioritize nonviolent solutions to conflict and nonmilitary tools such as diplomacy, institution-building, and foreign aid;
10. Support a foreign policy that promotes democratic reforms abroad, human rights, and the rule of law;
11. Secure our ports of entry by improving information and intelligence sharing among federal, state and local law enforcement and by enhancing inspections at all airports, seaports and land crossings while protecting individual privacy rights and civil liberties;
12. Increase federal funding to states and communities for equipment, training, and improving the capabilities of first responders;
13. Support the establishment of a clear and accountable chain of command for the use of unmanned devices, such as drones, and ensure that the use of drones is consistent with U.S. obligations under international law;
14. Protect First Amendment rights to freedom of expression, freedom of association, and freedom of religion, and the historic understanding of the Fourth Amendment that protects the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure while engaging in domestic surveillance and intelligence gathering;
15. Honor obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework and set a long-term policy to reduce and eventually eliminate weapons of mass destruction throughout the world;
16. Reject funding for new “low yield” and other warfighting nuclear weapons;
17. Redirect budget expenditures for wasteful and dangerous nuclear weapons development programs;
18. Advocate for policies that reduce the demand for illicit drugs and thereby decrease the influence of international narcotics traffickers;
19. Support efforts to demilitarize local law enforcement by prohibiting the military from transferring certain weapons, vehicles, and gear including grenades, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles, and armored and weaponized drones to local law enforcement agencies;
20. Condemn practices that violate the First Amendment rights of journalists, lawyers, clergy, and activists critical of government policies under the pretext of providing “border security”; and,
21. Support efforts to deny and decrease funding of Customs and Border Patrol for any “technological wall” as it would expand intrusive border surveillance programs of all people, including U.S. Citizens, to violate human rights.