Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who has played up his foreign policy chops while laying the groundwork for his 2016 White House run, will detail a three-pronged foreign policy doctrine during a speech in New York City Wednesday afternoon, calling for adequate military funding, protection of the American economy amid globalization, and “moral clarity” on America’s core values.
The three pillars of Mr. Rubio’s foreign policy approach will be “strength, globalization, and core values,” according to his campaign.
“What principles should govern the exercise of our power?” Mr. Rubio will say in the speech before the Council on Foreign Relations, according to excerpts of his prepared address. “The 21st century requires a president who will answer that question with clarity and consistency — one who will set forth a doctrine for the exercise of American influence in the world — and who will adhere to that doctrine with the principled devotion that has marked the bipartisan tradition of presidential leadership from Truman to Kennedy to Reagan.”
To restore American strength, the first priority will be to adequately fund the U.S. military, even during times of peace, he will say.
The second pillar is “the protection of the American economy in a globalized world,” and Mr. Rubio says as president he will use American power to oppose “any violations of international waters, airspace, cyberspace, or outer space.”
“This includes the economic disruption caused when one country invades another, as well as the chaos caused by disruptions in choke points such as the South China Sea or the Strait of Hormuz,” he says in the prepared excerpts. “Russia, China, Iran, or any other nation that attempts to block global commerce will know to expect a response from my administration. Gone will be the days of debating where a ship is flagged or whether it is our place to criticize territorial expansionism. In this century, businesses must have the freedom to operate around the world with confidence.”
The third part is “moral clarity regarding America’s core values,” and Mr. Rubio will say that “we must recognize that our nation is a global leader not just because it has superior arms, but because it has superior aims.”
“As president, I will support the spread of economic and political freedom, reinforce our alliances, resist efforts by large powers to subjugate their smaller neighbors, maintain a robust commitment to transparent and effective foreign assistance programs, and advance the rights of the vulnerable, including women and the religious minorities that are so often persecuted, so that the afflicted peoples of the world know the truth: the American people hear their cries, see their suffering, and most of all, desire their freedom,” he will say.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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