Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) has plans to bring a congressional delegation to Russia. Rohrabacher is quoted in a Wednesday article by Robert Costa in the Washington Post as saying a purpose of the trip is to discuss with Russian officials “how we can work with the Duma.” The Duma is a legislative body of the Russian government.
Rohrabacher, as chairman of the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats Subcommittee of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has a significant role in the United States House of Representatives regarding US relations with Russia. In this position, Rohrabacher has on occasion forcefully made the case for easing tensions between the US and Russia. For example, in March of 2015, Rohrabacher, speaking during a meeting of the subcommittee concerning Ukraine, criticized the US government’s effort “to basically defeat and humiliate Russia.” He argued that the US goal should instead be “to do what is right by Ukraine and bring peace to Ukraine.”
Rohrabacher’s influence in the House, though, should be understood in context. In introductory remarks at the Ukraine hearing at which Rohrabacher spoke out for peace and détente, Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), who is chairman of the full Foreign Affairs Committee, asserted the US government should take more aggressive actions in opposition to Russia in relation to Ukraine, calling US action so far “quite tepid.” And, last week, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) cheered and called “overdue” the announcement by President Barack Obama of punitive actions, including the expelling of 35 Russian diplomats from America, in response to purported Russian government actions including interfering with the 2016 US presidential election.
For some interesting information regarding Rohrabacher and his foreign policy views read Justin Raimondo’s December 5 article “Dana Rohrabacher for Secretary of State?” at antiwar.com.
Rohrabacher was recently in the news as a possible choice for the Secretary of State position in a Donald Trump administration. Trump ended up choosing Exxon Mobil Corporation CEO Rex W. Tillerson.
