 | Bill Richardson Democratic Candidate
New Mexico | General - "We need to find a way to restore America as a foundation of international law." Appearance at River Run Bookstore, Portsmouth, NH, 2/18/07
- "If America is to lead again, we need to remember this history, and to rebuild our overextended military, increase the size of our army, revive our alliances, and restore our reputation as a nation which respects international law, human rights and civil liberties." Speech, "The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership," 2/08/07
Counter-Terrorism/Detention - "I will also be a president that will bring back habeas corpus and the rule of law. I will also be a president that will shut down Guantanamo. I will also be a president that will follow the Constitution and not permit torture as a tool in our foreign policy. I will not eavesdrop on American citizens. And I will not go to war, unless I get the consent of Congress." NBC/MSNBC Democratic debate at Dartmouth, NH, 9/26/07
- "What the Bush administration has been using is called waterboarding. That is unacceptable not just with the Geneva Conventions, but in the spirit of our nation being a nation that respects human rights. That's not us. I would not permit it." NBC/MSNBC Democratic debate at Dartmouth, NH, 9/26/07
Trade Agreements - "We must develop a realistic approach to China's economic growth. This includes using trade agreements to incentivize human rights improvements." Speech, "US-Asian Relations in the 21st Century," 4/18/07
- "Accordingly, we should negotiate firmly with the Chinese on human rights, and develop trade agreements should be used to incentivize human rights improvements." Speech, "US-Asian Relations in the 21st Century," 4/18/07
- "...for trade agreements to be fair, environmentally-beneficial, and politically-sustainable, they need to take account of the huge gaps in levels of development around the world. Trade accords must have enforceable mechanisms to insure respect for core ILO standards, including work conditions, minimum wages, occupational safety, child labor, the right to collective bargaining and the prohibition of compulsory and slave labor. Trade agreements also must incorporate environmental protections. The United States should not enter into trade agreements with countries that do not sign the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification." Speech, "US-Asian Relations in the 21st Century," 4/18/07
- "I hope that Doha can be revived, but if Doha fails, we need to do our best to promote freer trade, and we should consider bilateral and regional approaches in Asia -- so long as they do not undermine the prospects for global progress." Speech, "US-Asian Relations in the 21st Century," 4/18/07
- "And to reduce both illegal immigration and anti-American populism in Latin America, we must work with reform-minded governments to alleviate poverty and promote equitable development. We need to strengthen energy cooperation in the region, as we foster democracy and fair trade.
And fostering democracy must include Cuba. We should reverse Bush policies restricting remittances, and travel to visit loved ones. Raul Castro has started to make some overtures toward the United States. Let's challenge him to show his sincerity by releasing Cuban political prisoners." Speech, "The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership," 2/08/07
International Security and Non-Proliferation - "We also need to strengthen the NPT regime, which has been weakened in recent years, as India and Pakistan and North Korea have gone nuclear, and as Iran attempts to do so. We need a new global non-proliferation agreement which prevents states from developing nuclear fuel-enrichment capabilities, and then abandoning the NPT as they rush to make bombs. We also need to negotiate a tough universal verification system that gives international inspectors immediate and unfettered access to all sites, worldwide." Speech, "Preventing a Nuclear 9-11," 3/27/07
- "Our obsession with Iraq has cost us enormous amounts of prestige loss around the world. But also the fact that we haven't focused on the real challenges facing this country, international terrorism, nuclear proliferation, North Korea, Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian issue." Richardson on Late Edition, CNN, 2/18/07
- "...if we want other countries to take the nuclear non-proliferation treaty seriously, we need to start taking it seriously ourselves. This means leading a global effort to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the world - including our own. And we need to upgrade and tighten the NPT to prevent states from legally developing their nuclear capabilities, and then opting out of the treaty as they rush to build bombs." Speech, "The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership," 2/08/07
International Criminal Court Climate Change and Environment International Institutions/UN Reform Human Rights - "The United States once was - and again must be - a human rights example to which others aspire. We must be impeccable in our own behavior, and we must reward countries which respect the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. And we must negotiate, constructively but firmly, with those who do not.
Because we care about human rights, we need to start taking Africa seriously. The two most horrendous recent genocides have taken place in Rwanda and now Darfur. History teaches us that if the United States does not take the lead on genocide, no one else will. We need to step up to the plate on Darfur, and let the world know that when genocide threatens, the United States will lead the world to stop it." Speech, "The New Realism and the Rebirth of American Leadership," 2/08/07
- "A struggle for human rights is worthy of military intervention. A true threat to our country's security is worthy of war. But a struggle between a country's warring factions where both sides hate the United States is not worthy of one more lost American life." Address to the DNC Winter Meeting, 2/3/07
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