Sudden Change in U.S. Foreign Policy Unlikely After Election
09 November 2006
U.S. ambassador to United Kingdom examines election impact in webchat
Washington – Historically, there have not been sudden changes in U.S. foreign policy following its elections, according to U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom Robert H. Tuttle.
"The president sets U.S. foreign policy and it is implemented by the Secretary of State. So the direction of U.S. foreign policy will be the responsibility of President Bush until he leaves the White House in January 2009," the ambassador said.
Tuttle discussed the potential effects of the U.S. 2006 midterm elections in a Washington File Webchat November 9.
"All presidents, including President Bush, have and will continue to consult with Congress regarding the direction of U.S. foreign policy," he said.
Even though key officials in policymaking positions might change -- for example there will be new leaders in Congress and at the Defense Department -- the overall foreign policy objectives remain the same, Tuttle said.
The election will not bring a sudden change to U.S. policy on Iraq, the ambassador said. "As President Bush said in his news conference … our objectives in Iraq have not changed but he and members of his administration are constantly reviewing our tactical approaches to the situation in Iraq," Tuttle said. (See related article.)
The executive and legislative branches will have to work together on both foreign and domestic issues, Tuttle said. For all bills to become law both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve them before they can be signed by the president.
Additionally, Tuttle said, each chamber has unique powers and responsibilities. Only the House can initiate a bill spending government funds. The Senate has the power to approve high-level appointments made by the president, including those of Cabinet members, ambassadors and federal judges. The Senate also ratifies treaties negotiated by the president.
Divided government, a situation in which one political party controls at least one chamber of Congress while the president is a representative of the other party, is common and something with which Americans are comfortable, Tuttle said, adding that since 1950 there have more years with divided government than years without it.
"The record shows that during those years of divided government some of our more productive pieces of legislation were passed by the Congress and signed by the president," he said.
A transcript of Tuttle's webchat is available at the USINFO Webchat Station.
For more information, see 2006 Midterm Elections.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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