Tulsi Gabbard

Bernie Sanders with Tulsi Gabbard in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 2016

Tulsi Gabbard as shown on Forum of Young Global Leaders Website December 11, 2021 (screenshot)

Tulsi Gabbard entered Congress with the 2012 elections as a (Hawaii Democrat, District 2). She served on the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees. Tulsi Gabbard toured with Bernie Sanders during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Tulsi Gabbard is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Tulsi Gabbard was a "Global Young Leader" for the World Economic Forum's "Forum of Young Global Leaders.", Tulsi Gabbard has since condemned the World Economic Forum, claiming they used her image without her consent.

Career

Tulsi Gabbard served as a Councilmember on the Honolulu City Council, representing over 100,000 constituents within the urban Honolulu community. Previously elected to the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives at the age of 21, Gabbard earned the distinction of being the youngest legislator ever elected in Hawai‘i, and the youngest woman ever elected in the nation. She withdrew from an easy re-election campaign when she volunteered for an 18-month long deployment to Iraq with the Hawai‘i Army National Guard in 2004; its first major deployment since the Vietnam War.

Upon returning home, she attended the Alabama Military Academy’s Officer Candidate School, and became the first female Distinguished Honor Graduate in the academy’s 50-year history. Tulsi went on to serve in the U.S. Senate as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Daniel Akaka. After two years in Washington, DC, Tulsi deployed to the Middle East a second time, and served as a Military Police platoon leader. Part of her mission included providing training to the Kuwait National Guard’s Counter-Terrorism Team. For this work, she became the first woman ever to receive an award from the Kuwait National Guard.

She is also Vice President and Co-founder of a successful environmental nonprofit, Healthy Hawai‘i Coalition, which focuses on grassroots organizing and advocacy, and education programs for youth.

Rage Against the War Machine

Dugin approval

Hinkle interview

Tulsi Gabbard with Jackson Hinkle.

Condemning Veneuzela policy

In January 2019 three members of the US Congress, California Rep. Ro Khanna, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, condemned the U.S. actions in Venezuela, the recognition of Guaidó, a $20 million aid package to the Venezuelan opposition, and the threat of further action, including military.

Gabbard, a noted opponent of U.S. involvement in foreign countries who is running for president in 2020, also opposed the decision.“The United States needs to stay out of Venezuela,’ Gabbard tweeted. “Let the Venezuelan people determine their future. We don’t want other countries to choose our leaders — so we have to stop trying to choose theirs.”

World Economic Forum

Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly referenced the World Economic Forum on social media. ,,,,,,

"Chinese spy connection"

A suspected Chinese intelligence operative developed extensive ties with local and national politicians, including a U.S. congressman, in what U.S. officials believe was a political intelligence operation run by China’s main civilian spy agency between 2011 and 2015, Axios found in a yearlong investigation.

The woman at the center of the operation, a Chinese national named Fang Fang or Christine Fang, targeted up-and-coming local politicians in the Bay Area and across the country who had the potential to make it big on the national stage.

Through campaign fundraising, extensive networking, personal charisma, and romantic or sexual relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors, Fang was able to gain proximity to political power, according to current and former U.S. intelligence officials and one former elected official.

Even though U.S. officials do not believe Fang received or passed on classified information, the case "was a big deal, because there were some really, really sensitive people that were caught up" in the intelligence network, a current senior U.S. intelligence official said.

Private but unclassified information about government officials — such as their habits, preferences, schedules, social networks, and even rumors about them — is a form of political intelligence. Collecting such information is a key part of what foreign intelligence agencies do.

Between 2011 and 2015, Fang's activities brought her into contact with many of the Bay Area’s most prominent politicos.

Fang helped with a fundraiser for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) in 2013, according to a flyer from the event Fang shared on Facebook. Others on the bill included Hon. Raj Salwan, Hon. Vinnie Bacon, Hon Aisha Knowles, Mihir Meghani and Marie Mao.

Russian asset?

October 2019 Hillary Clinton appeared to claim in a podcast interview that Russians will support Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as a third-party presidential candidate—and called Jill Stein “a Russian asset.”

Clinton made the remark on Campaign HQ with David Plouffe. “I’m not making any predictions, but I think they’ve got their eye on someone who’s currently in the Democratic primary and are grooming her to be the third-party candidate. She’s the favorite of the Russians,” said Clinton, apparently referring to Rep. Gabbard, who’s been accused of receiving support from Russian bots and the Russian news media. “They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far.” She added: “That’s assuming Jill Stein will give it up, which she might not because she’s also a Russian asset. Yeah, she’s a Russian asset—I mean, totally. They know they can’t win without a third-party candidate. So I don’t know who it’s going to be, but I will guarantee you they will have a vigorous third-party challenge in the key states that they most needed.” Clinton spox Nick Merrill later clarified, when asked if Clinton was referencing Gabbard: “If the nesting doll fits.”

Russian support

The Russian propaganda machine that tried to influence the 2016 U.S. election is now promoting the presidential aspirations of a controversial Hawaii Democrat who earlier this month declared her intention to run for president in 2020.

An NBC News analysis of the main English-language news sites employed by Russia in its 2016 election meddling shows Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who is set to make her formal announcement Saturday, has become a favorite of the sites Moscow used when it interfered in 2016.

Several experts who track websites and social media linked to the Kremlin have also seen what they believe may be the first stirrings of an upcoming Russian campaign of support for Gabbard.

Since Gabbard announced her intention to run on Jan. 11 2019, there have been at least 20 Gabbard stories on three major Moscow-based English-language websites affiliated with or supportive of the Russian government: RT, the Russian-owned TV outlet; Sputnik News, a radio outlet; and Russia Insider, a blog that experts say closely follows the Kremlin line. The CIA has called RT and Sputnik part of "Russia's state-run propaganda machine."

All three sites celebrated Gabbard's announcement, defended her positions on Russia and her 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, and attacked those who have suggested she is a pawn for Moscow. The coverage devoted to Gabbard, both in news and commentary, exceeds that afforded to any of the declared or rumored Democratic candidates despite Gabbard's lack of voter recognition.

Gabbard was mentioned on the three sites about twice as often as two of the best known Democratic possibilities for 2020, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, each with 10 stories. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren had fewer. In each case, the other contenders were treated more critically than Gabbard, with headlines like "'Don't Run': Vermont Paper Begs Bernie Sanders Not to Seek US Presidency in 2020" and "Sexist much? Biden blames 'conservative blonde woman' for shutdown, 'forgets' Ann Coulter's name."

"Her promulgation of positions compatible with Russian geo strategic interests can help them mainstream such discussion in the [Democratic] party," said Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook and now an NBC News analyst. Gabbard, said Stamos, helps them with all their "lines of attack."

A major in the Hawaii Army National Guard who served two tours in Iraq, Gabbard was first elected to Congress in 2012 and represents the out islands and northern Oahu. She attracted attention as a maverick when she resigned as Democratic National Committee vice chair in early 2016 and endorsed Bernie Sanders. She gave his nominating speech at that summer's party convention.

While some of her stances appeal to the left, she has also angered the party's liberal base with her past positions on same sex marriage, abortion and guns. Just weeks after Donald Trump's upset victory over Hillary Clinton, she met with the president-elect at Trump Tower.

But Gabbard's most controversial position and the one where she's most in line with Russian interests is on Syria. She's accused the U.S. of pushing a policy of "regime change" wars and in January 2017, she met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in Syria on what she called a "fact-finding mission."

RT began defending Gabbard as soon as she announced. A behavioral science expert who studies social media tweeted out a vow on Jan. 11 to start a GoFundMe campaign to finance a reporting trip to Gabbard's Hawaii district. Reporters for RT's television network pounced, calling it "an investigative vacation" and a "beachside investigation" by an "establishment Democrat."

On Jan. 12, the day after Gabbard announced, RT headlined her decision this way: "'Putin puppet' vs 'Assad shill': Dems & Reps unite in panic over Gabbard challenging Trump in 2020."

The unsigned article claimed, "With Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) entering the 2020 presidential fray, establishment figures on both Right and Left are scrambling to smear the anti-war congresswoman with impeccable identity-politics bona fides. Ever since her 2017 visit to Syria, Gabbard has been condemned for daring to seek firsthand accounts rather than blindly trusting the MSM narrative, so on Friday the pundits were again off to the races, with fresh accusations of Assad-sympathizing."

On Jan. 16, Lee Stranahan, one of the co-hosts on "Fault Line," a Washington-based program on Sputnik News, admitted that the debates should be the focus for Gabbard.

"The significant thing about her being in the race is because one of her main issues is peace and specifically on Syria, where she is telling the truth on Syria," said Stranahan, who joined Sputnik after stints at Breitbart News, the right-wing news site. "I think she is going to change the debate. If she can get through the first few months, and make it to actual debates, is there a big millionaire or billionaire that will support Tulsi Gabbard."

The same day, conservative writer Hunter Derensis noted on Russia Insider, "In line with her thinking on Syria, she lacks the anti-Russian stance of other Democratic politicians. 'How does going to war with Russia over Syria serve the interest of the American people?' she mentioned in a tweet. Gabbard has also supported Trump's diplomatic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in one of her multiple appearances with Tucker Carlson."

That story was headlined, "Heroic Tulsi Gabbard Will Run on Her Sensible Foreign Policy. Expect Democrats, Faux Progressives to Squeal."

In articles on the Russian sites, Gabbard is described as a "rebel," who is "straight-talking" and a "heroic" candidate who will "shake up" the establishment.

Erika Tsuji, a spokeswoman for Gabbard, said it as "ridiculous" to suggest the Russians supported her candidacy.

"Russia would never overtly support a candidate they wanted to help, because it would just hurt their candidacy," said Tsuji. "It’s common sense."

Tsuji also said that "From the start, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has denounced Russia's attempts to muddle (sic) in our elections and will continue to do so." She noted that Gabbard had cosponsored legislation calling for an independent investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election, cosponsored a bill prohibiting foreign influence in the election process, and sponsored a bill to protect election infrastructure from hackers.

Experts in Russian on-line propaganda say Gabbard appeals to pro-Russian sites because her positions —and her appeal as an outsider in her own party — can be used to create division among Democrats.

Former FBI agent Clint Watts, author of "Messing with the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers, Terrorists, Russians, and Fake News," said Gabbard has past or present positions on several issues that would be attractive to the Russian propaganda machine, and she is already popular with the U.S. "alt-left." Besides her views on Syria, she responded to reports of Russian interference in the 2016 election by saying the U.S. had interfered in foreign elections too.

The language used to laud Gabbard is reminiscent of Russian media promotion of Jill Stein, the U.S. Green Party candidate for president in 2012 and 2016. Stein received favorable coverage from the same outlets and also benefited from Russian troll accounts.

Watts notes the difference between Stein and Gabbard is that Gabbard is member of Congress and part of the Democratic Party while Stein is more of a fringe figure. Watts and Stamos think the Russians may be gravitating to Gabbard not because they think she can win, but because her positions, often in line with those of the Kremlin, will become part of the Democratic primary debates.

"They probably just spotted her and figured this is someone to promote," said Watts, who is also an NBC News analyst. "You can just see it coming. They're telegraphing what coming the next two years, which is playing in the left."

"They want someone like Gabbard to voice a Russian position. They are not telling her what to say but they want her pro-Russian positions play into the debate."

Stamos agrees that Gabbard could be used to inject pro-Russian positions into the Democratic Party's discussions and debates during primary season.

"We should expect the Russian intel services and troll farms to be active in the Democratic primary process," said Stamos, "as this provides them with the best opportunity to create the most division in American society in 2020."

The first Democratic primary is a year away, and the Russian disinformation machine has not yet initiated a full 2016-style campaign of support for any of the 2020 aspirants. In 2016, negative coverage and fabricated stories about Hillary Clinton were amplified by a huge network of fake social media accounts and bots.

Experts who track inauthentic social media accounts, however, have already found some extolling Gabbard's positions since she declared.

Within a few days of Gabbard announcing her presidential bid, DisInfo 2018, part of the cybersecurity firm New Knowledge, found that three of the top 15 URLs shared by the 800 social media accounts affiliated with known and suspected Russian propaganda operations directed at U.S. citizens were about Gabbard.

Analysts at New Knowledge, the company the Senate Intelligence Committee used to track Russian activities in the 2016 election, told NBC News they've spotted "chatter" related to Gabbard in anonymous online message boards, including those known for fomenting right-wing troll campaigns. The chatter discussed Gabbard's usefulness.

"A few of our analysts saw some chatter on 8chan saying she was a good 'divider' candidate to amplify," said Renee DiResta, director of research at New Knowledge.

Josh Russell, a researcher and "troll hunter" known for identifying fake accounts, similarly told NBC News he recently spotted a few clusters of suspicious accounts that retweeted the same exact text about Gabbard, mostly neutral or slightly positive headlines.

"They usually spam links to websites, but also retweet specific tweets or accounts in an effort to boost a website or accounts search results," he said.

North Korean connections

Resolution calling for a final settlement of the Korean War

February 26, 2019 Press Release

Washington, DC – As President Trump arrives to Hanoi, Vietnam, Rep. Ro Khanna, along with eighteen Democratic Members of Congress, have introduced a resolution calling for a final settlement of the Korean War, now officially in its 68th year.

The resolution -- which is backed by former President and Nobel Peace Laureate Jimmy Carter and a range of Korean-American and pro-diplomacy organizations -- urges the Trump Administration to provide a clear roadmap to achieve a final peace settlement while highlighting the importance of reciprocal actions and confidence-building measures between the parties.

“Historic engagement between South and North Korea has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to formally end this war,” said Rep. Ro Khanna, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “President Trump must not squander this rare chance for peace. He should work hand in hand with our ally, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, to bring the war to a close and advance toward the denuclearization of the peninsula.”

“I commend this important resolution that will help bring this nearly 70 year conflict to a close,” said President Jimmy Carter. “I have visited North Korea several times to talk with their leadership and study the best path forward for peace. Ending the threat of war is the only way to ensure true security for both the Korean and American people and will create the conditions to alleviate the suffering of the ordinary North Koreans who are most harmed by ongoing tensions.”

Co-led by prominent progressive Reps. Andy Kim, Barbara Lee, Pramila Jayapal, Deb Haaland, and Jan Schakowsky, the resolution calls on the Trump Administration to make greater efforts to include women in the peace process, citing the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 which Trump signed into law. Women’s rights icon Gloria Steinem, founder of the peace group Women Cross DMZ, published an op-ed in the Washington Post on Sunday in support of the resolution.

The resolution clarifies that ending the war does not necessitate a withdrawal of US troops from Korea or an acceptance of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear power. The resolution calls on the Administration to continue the repatriation of servicemember remains, and expand cooperation to achieve reunions of divided Korean and Korean-American families and facilitate people-to-people exchanges and humanitarian cooperation.

Rep. Khanna has been a consistent voice for diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. Shortly after Trump threatened “fire and fury” against North Korea, Khanna was joined by over 70 Congressmembers on his bipartisan “No Unconstitutional Strike on North Korea Act”, which would reinforce existing law prohibiting an unauthorized and unprovoked strike on North Korea. He has also been critical of those in both parties who have sought to restrict flexibility in negotiations, instead urging support for the diplomatic approach of our South Korean ally and its President, Moon Jae-in.

Rep. Khanna will travel to Atlanta next week to sit down with Pres. Carter to discuss developments on the Korean Peninsula and solicit guidance from the Nobel Laureate about how the next generation of policymakers can best pursue a pro-diplomacy agenda for America.

Current original cosponsors (18): Pramila Jayapal, Mark Pocan, Barbara Lee, Deb Haaland, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jan Schakowsky, Raúl Grijalva, Bobby Rush, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Tulsi Gabbard, Adriano Espaillat, Andy Kim, Rashida Tlaib, Judy Chu, Jose Serrano, Gwen Moore.

The resolution is endorsed by organizations including the National Association of Korean Americans, Ploughshares Fund, Women Cross DMZ, Korean Americans in Action, United Methodist Church – Global Ministries, Win Without War, Peace Action, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Just Foreign Policy, Beyond the Bomb, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.

Korea Peace Now!

In March 2019, an international delegation of women peacebuilders traveled to Washington DC, New York, and Ottawa to officially launch the women-led global campaign Korea Peace Now! Women Mobilizing to End the War.

In Washington, D.C., the delegation of women — which included three Parliamentarians from South Korea (R.O.K) — met with members of Congress to discuss how to advance a new U.S. policy on North Korea that improves security for everyone. This included a breakfast roundtable with Reps. Barbara Lee and Jan Schakowsky, both co-sponsors of H.Res. 152, which calls for an end to the Korean War, and the discussion of a possible joint commission of U.S. and R.O.K. lawmakers and civil society. The delegation also met with Sen. Bernie Sanders and urged him to introduce a Senate companion bill to H.Res. 152.

Also in D.C., two of the Parliamentarians, Kwon Mi Hyuk and Lee Jae Jung, both members of the South Korean National Assembly, spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations on the importance of pushing the Korea peace process forward. Among the attendees were employees of the Department of Homeland Security, the RAND Corporation, and the Federation of American Scientists.

Korea Peace Now! Women Mobilizing to End the War Campaign Launch Posted on March 6, 2019:

Washington, DC — Following on the heels of the failed U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi, a delegation of South Korean women parliamentarians and civil society leaders will be in Washington, DC on March 11-13 to meet with U.S. members of Congress about getting diplomacy back on track for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean Parliamentarians — Kwon Mi-hyuk, Lee Jae-jung, and Je Youn-kyung, all members of the Democratic Party of Korea — will hold closed-door meetings, roundtables, and a public event with members of the U.S. Congress. Among the members of Congress they are scheduled to meet with are Rep. Barbara Lee, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Andy Kim, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Grace Meng, and Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

Christine Ahn March 14 2019

With Tulsi Gabbard Aiyoung Choi, Ann Wright and Korean delegation.

Lee Jae-jung is the only woman on the Moon administration’s elite inter-Korean economic cooperation policy team.

The South Korean delegation is part of the official launch of the global campaign Korea Peace Now! Women Mobilizing to the End the War. Co-founded by Women Cross DMZ, Nobel Women’s Initiative, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Korean Women’s Movement for Peace, the campaign is part of a growing movement pushing for an end to war and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Meeting with Kim Jong-hoon

Kim Jong-hoon, a member of South Korea’s National Assembly and co-chair of the progressive Minjung Party, led a delegation to Washington on March 20-21 2018 to appeal to U.S. lawmakers about supporting efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. Congress and Senate should not just watch Trump’s maneuvers from the sidelines but play an active role to make sure the talks succeed in achieving genuine and lasting peace, he wrote in The Hill. The Minjung Party was borne out of the candlelight revolution that unseated former President Park Geun-hye and is composed of workers, farmers and the urban poor.

In a meeting with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Kim urged the senator to take the lead in building support for a successful summit:

No matter the motive for President Trump’s decision to meet with Kim Jong Un, dialogue is better than war. Military tension on the Korean peninsula had reached a feverish pitch last year, and real fear of impending war was shared by all Koreans, whether in the north or south. Leaders in Washington and the American people need to call on Trump to negotiate in good faith.

Senator Sanders expressed support for “peace talks between North Korea and the United States,” and the two lawmakers agreed to work together to facilitate dialogue between lawmakers of South Korea and the United States for a peaceful resolution of the U.S.-North Korea conflict.

Representative Kim also met with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who also expressed support for the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit. “Dialogue is the best path to peace,” she said and discussed the false missile alert that had caused terror among residents of Hawaii earlier this year. The two lawmakers agreed that the people of Korea and Hawaii share a stake in resolving the current crisis peacefully. Congresswoman Gabbard said she will introduce a House resolution in support of the upcoming North Korea-U.S. summit.

Representative Kim also met with Congressman Jim McGovern and Congressman Dwight Evans, who both agreed to support the peace process in Korea.

Representative Kim also met with Reverend Jesse Jackson. The two leaders released a joint statement in support of the upcoming peace talks, and Reverend Jackson agreed to travel to South Korea in the near future to meet with members of the National Assembly and civil society organizations to discuss joint efforts for peace.

Representative Kim also met with peace activists in Washington and New York. He thanked them for their solidarity for peace in Korea. For the grandmothers fighting against the U.S. THAAD system in the village of Soseongri, he said, “Let us work together and redouble our efforts to establish a lasting peace system on the Korean Peninsula.”

Feel the Bern Rally 2016

Tulsi Gabbard with Bernie Sanders and Ben Jealous in 2016

Tulsi Gabbard posted a photo of herself with Bernie Sanders and Ben Jealous before addressing a rally for Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign.

A light moment backstage with Bernie Sanders and Ben Jealous at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign just before greeting a crowd of over 6,000 #feelthebern (Photo cred: Arun Chaudhary)

Inspires Christine Ahn

Tulsi Gabbard inspires Christine Ahn.

PowerPAC+ connection

Tulsi Gabbard was supported by PowerPAC+.

PowerPAC+ backing

PowerPAC+ is a political action committee formed in 2012 to build the political power of America’s multiracial majority. It emerged from the groundbreaking work of Vote Hope in 2007-08. At that time, then-Senator Barack Obama was assembling his Presidential campaign and California’s primary moved from June to a more influential month, February. "We created Vote Hope, the first super-PAC aimed at supporting Barack Obama’s bid for president. Vote Hope was the largest independent effort in the nation to increase voter turnout in communities of color. It drew in $10 million, and expanded to 18 states during the primary season".

Since then, PowerPAC+ has consulted with the leadership of the Democratic Party, organizations and campaigns about how to best build support in the communities of color.

Thanks to our many donors, we have been able to support some of the most exciting leaders to emerge in modern politics. From Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard – a two-time veteran and first Samoan in Congress, to Congressman Mark Takano – the first non-white openly gay member of Congress, to Ohio Minority Whip Nina Turner – who is standing up for voting rights in this important swing state – our group of social justice champions represent an exciting future for American politics.

PowerPAC+ Dinner

PowerPAC+ February 12, 2014 ·

Check out our photos from last night's PAC+ dinner with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Become a member of PAC+, and you'll get special invitations to events like these.

Donors

In 2012 Tulsi Gabbard received money from executives with clean-energy businesses, well-known lawyers like Rick Fried, Sherry Broder, Lorraine Akiba and Paul Alston, business leaders like Don Horner and Ralph Inouye, and a lot of employees working at Down to Earth and the Noni Connection. Mark Geragos, the Los Angeles lawyer of celebrity clients, contributed $1,278 to Gabbard for in-kind food and beverages.

Democratic Socialists of America connections

Tulsi Gabbard is very close to Democratic Socialists of America and its front groups allies and programs.

Women for Tulsi

Nancie Caraway, Tulsi Gabbard

April 13th, 2012, a coalition of Hawaii women, including first lady Nancie Caraway, announced their support for Tulsi Gabbard in the race for Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District.

“The person who holds the seat of our beloved Patsy Mink in Congress needs to be of the highest integrity and intelligence,” Caraway said Wednesday at a news conference on the state Capitol lawn to announce the launch of Women for Tulsi.

“I have seen Tulsi in action. I’ve seen her with people. She works beautifully with people. She listens to them. She thinks on her feet and she’s a genuinely reciprocal human being,” Caraway said.

Others declaring their support for Gabbard included City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi and prominent diversity advocate Amy Agbayani.

Backing Bernie

On Meet The Press Feb. 28, 2016, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) announced she is resigning from her position as vice chair of the DNC so that she can endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for President. The Congresswoman, Iraq War veteran and now-former vice chair said she has deep concerns over our country’s foreign policy direction, having seen the toll of the Iraq War — which Secretary Clinton famously voted for and Bernie against — up close.

Vice Chair Gabbard had butted heads with DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz publicly the last several months. Particularly, Wasserman Schultz claimed that she consulted with her vice chairs before determining the debate schedule, leading to a rebuke from Gabbard, who later said Wasserman Schultz disinvited her from the next debate in retaliation. Wasserman Schultz denied this, but Gabbard’s fellow DNC Vice Chair and Mayor of Minneapolis R. T. Rybak stood up for Gabbard, stating that Wasserman-Schultz went on TV and "repeated a knowing untruth" about her.

The endorsement is the fourth now from a sitting member of Congress, and the former vice chair joins former DNC Chair and US Senator (and Ted Kennedy chief of staff and confidante) Paul Kirk (D-MA) in backing Bernie.

Endorsed by Our Revolution

In 2016 Tulsi Gabbard was endorsed by Our Revolution, an organization run by former campaign workers and supporters of former socialist presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.

Hinkle connection

Jackson Hinkle with Tulsi Gabbard.

Florida socialists

Ciera Smith March 8, 2016

With Matt Krieger, Kristellys Estanga, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Bri Feinberg and Lisa Peth at Bernie Sanders 2016 Miami Headquarters.

PDA connection

Tulsi Gabbard with Donna Smith.

PDA endorsement

Progressive Democrats of America endorsed Tulsi Gabbard in 2017;

"I'm honored by the endorsement of the Progressive Democrats of America. I respect the work and activism of the Progressive Democrats in Hawaii and across the country, and I look forward to continuing our work together as we fight to end the illegal, counterproductive war to overthrow the Syrian government of Assad, protect social security, empower voters with open and transparent elections, end harmful trade agreements such as TPP, and build a strong economy that benefits the American people."

PDA 2018 endorsement

In 2018 Progressive Democrats of America endorsed Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, HI-02.

The People's Summit

At The People's Summit, Chicago June 17-19 2016, a Saturday session was held "The People's Agenda";

Moderator Donna Smith - Progressive Democrats of America.

Speakers;

• Jesus "Chuy" Garcia - Commissioner, Cook County.
• Nina Turner - former Ohio State Senate.
• Tulsi Gabbard - Congressmember Hawaii.

According to the People's World;

Conference goers also heard about the importance of fighting against the neo-liberal approach to foreign policy during remarks by Tulsi Gabbard, the Hawaii congresswoman who had quit her position on the Democratic National Committee so she could campaign for Sanders.

Gabbard demanded that the U.S. end what she called its "disastrous policy of going overseas to overthrow governments it does not like.

"By trying to overthrow the Syrian dictator Assad we have made things worse for the people of Syria and this has caused the deaths of more than 400,000 of them and the worst refugee crisis ever. Even if we ever succeeded," she added, Syria would be turned over to ISIS and then see extermination of all political opponents, of people of other faiths and of LGBTQ people.

"And for us here at home, we will never be able to realize healthcare for all, $15 an hour and the social and economic justice we fight for, as long as these military adventures like the ones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria drain our federal budget. Stop the regime change, stop the wars and rebuild America," she declared, bringing the thousands gathered to their feet in sustained applause.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Leadership Meeting

Erica Y. Lee, March 12, 2016:

“Our communities have often been the difference between winning and losing. The margin of victory makes a difference,” Tulsi Gabbard. Asian American and Pacific Islander Leadership Meeting #asianamericansforbernie

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-meets-asian-american-pacific-islander-community-leaders-chicago/ — with Linh Nguyen, Bernie Sanders, Kristina Wong, Brad Jenkins, Annabel Park, Winnie Wong, Yesenia Vergara and Tulsi Gabbard in Chicago, Illinois.

Keystone Progress

Tulsi Gabbard addresses Keystone Progress 2017.

National Nurses United endorsement

National Nurses United 2018 endorsements included Tulsi Gabbard HI 2.

California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus

Emily Cameron February 23, 2018 near San Diego, CA ·

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii is here at the California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus. ‬

Grassroots Political Summit

Tulsi Gabbard to Keynote Grassroots Political Summit Sept 22nd, 2018:

Tulsi Gabbard with Monadnock Progressive Alliance

KEENE, NH – Rep. Tulsi Gabbard keynoted a gathering of several hundred progressive and grassroots activists from New Hampshire and Vermont in Keene, NH Sept 22nd, 2018.

Gabbard was the featured midday speaker during an awards ceremony at the annual Members’ Assembly & People Power Summit being hosted by Rights & Democracy and the Monadnock Progressive Alliance.

The day-long summit wwas held at the Keene Middle School in Keene, NH from 10AM – 5 PM on Saturday, Sept. 22.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said: “Coming together and working to protect our people, our planet and fighting for peace is more important now than ever before. I look forward to joining you as we work to make sure we have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

“We are looking forward to hearing from Rep. Tulsi Gabbard who, like Rights & Democracy, challenges convention, upsets the establishment, and works with folks from all walks of life and backgrounds to bring about real change in our communities,” said Alison Nihart, chair of the Rights & Democracy Project’s Board of Directors. “Her perspective will be of particular importance as we approach this fall’s elections with the goal of electing RAD issue champions up and down the ballot in both states.”

Rights & Democracy is a national affiliate of Our Revolution.

“We are excited to welcome Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to New Hampshire during this crucial political moment and hear from someone who can inspire us as we head into these important mid-term elections,” said Amy Hathaway, of the Monadnock Progressive Alliance. “So many of us are working on multiple fronts to protect people from the dangerous policies of this administration, and Rep. Gabbard is a key ally in Congress on those fights.”

Rep. Gabbard will speak during a special midday ceremony celebrating movement builders in both states who are tackling tough problems in their communities and beyond by bringing people together from diverse perspectives and building lasting solutions. There will be six honorees – three leaders from each state – in the following categories: Youth, State House, and Community Organizing.

Movement Builder Awardees

New Hampshire

Youth: Anna McGuiness, Evie Iwanowicz, Daisy Young, Lily Denehy & Oni Saleh, Adam Minihan, Conor T. Hill, Hannah Lan for their leadership on common sense gun reforms, climate, and youth engagement

Community: Pat Martin for her work on energy & climate issues

State House: Executive Councilor Andru Volinksy for his work in holding Gov. Sununu accountable and advancing progressive ideas in NH.

Vermont

Youth: Ethan Sonneborn for his inspiring campaign for governor and his commitment to giving youth a voice in politics

Community: Brenda Siegal for her leadership on social & economic justice issues, especially how we address our addiction and overdose crises

State House: Rep. Kiah Morris for her leadership on social, racial, and economic justice issues and advancing needed conversations on tackling overt and systemic racism in Vermont.

Patel connection

Cullen Tiernan April 13 2019:

Ankur Patel and Tulsi Gabbard share an amazing moment 🕊🕊 would love to have been a fly on that wall! — with Micha Liberman, Ankur Patel and Shawnee Badger.

Huerta connection

Zenaida Huerta February 23, 2018:

Hanging out with my inspiration and everything I want to be, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard! #CADEM2018 — with Henry Huerta.

Sanders Institute Fellows

The Sanders Institute Fellowship is comprised of leaders dedicated to transforming our democracy through the research, education, outreach and advancement of bold, progressive ideas and values.

Dr. Jane O'Meara Sanders, Prof. Robert Reich, The Honorable Nina Turner, Harry Belafonte, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Dr. Cornel West, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Bill McKibben, Danny Glover, Benjamin Jealous Dr. Stephanie Kelton, Michael Lighty, Shaun King.

"Green New Deal"

From the Sunrise Movement:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has released a proposal for a Select Committee on a Green New Deal, a plan that would transform our economy and society at the scale needed to stop the climate crisis.

We have the momentum to make a Green New Deal real, but we need a critical mass of Congresspeople to support the proposal.

Take action on Dec. 10 to show Congress the Green New Deal is a top priority.

Congressional supporters by December 1 2018:

• Jared Huffman (CA-02)
• Jackie Speier (CA-14)
• Ro Khanna (CA-17)
• Mike Levin (CA-49)
• Ted Lieu (CA-33)
• John Lewis (GA-05)
• Joe Neguse (CO-02)
• Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
• Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
• Jamie Raskin (MD-08)
• Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
• Rashida Tlaib (MI-13)
• Ilhan Omar (MN-05)
• Deb Haaland (NM-01)
• Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)
• Jose Serrano (NY-15)
• Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Medicare for All Act

In February 2019 Rep. Pramila Jayapal introduced H.R.1384 - Medicare for All Act of 2019. By May 29 she had 110 co-sponsors including Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.

Muscatine DSA

Nicholas Salazar April 16 2019·

Muscatine Democratic Socialists of America hosted a town hall meeting today featuring Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to discuss the issues that are important to the community.

Thank you Congresswoman for taking the time to meet with the residents of Muscatine.

Ellis connection

Erika Feresten February 24, 2018:

With fierce progressive champions Kimberly Ellis and Rep Tulsi Gabbard at the CA Democrats State Convention. — with Kimberly Ellis at San Diego Convention Center.

Signed on to PDA letter

August 24, 2019 (Washington, DC) – Today Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) announced the presidential campaigns of philanthropist Tom Steyer, U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard and activist, author and non- denominational faith leader Marianne Williamson have joined an open letter to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Tom Perez demanding a DNC-sponsored climate debate. The announcement comes as DNC members vote at their Summer Meeting in San Francisco on whether to sponsor a climate debate.

“We are grateful to presidential candidates Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard and Marianne Williamson for signing on to the Open Letter insisting that Chairman Perez sanction a DNC-sponsored climate debate,” said Alan Minsky, PDA’s Executive Director. “The Democratic Party needs to show it is ready to respond to the existential climate threat by delivering the American people a televised climate debate.”

“The climate town halls that have been scheduled as substitutes are not enough – their format does not allow for the vigorous debate necessary to tackle the climate crisis, nor an audience big enough to hear the critical call to act,” said Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer. “I stand with the signers of the open letter to demand that the DNC host an official presidential climate debate.”

“How are Democrats going to mobilize America ‘on a scale not seen since World War II’ to combat the ‘global climate emergency,’ as the Democratic Party Platform asserts, if they won’t even hold a climate emergency debate?” asked Tom Weis, Climate Advisor to PDA. “The world is on fire and Democrats need to sound the alarm.”

“The threats of climate change and of nuclear war loom large – both caused by a failure of leadership by self-serving, powerful politicians and corporate interests that have traded the long-term survival of our species for their own short- term gain,” said Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard. “If we do not rise to the challenges presented, engage our imagination, face up courageously to the problems, and exercise clear and immediate leadership to navigate towards a solution, our children and our children’s children will hold us accountable.”

“The climate crisis is a reminder of humanity’s pathological irreverence toward the earth, a self-destructive dysfunction from which we will heal or possibly not even survive as a species,” said Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson. “This is more than a climate crisis; it is a survival crisis, and it should be seen as such. Our ability to take in the horror of what is happening, and to summon the courage to do something about it, will determine the most critical choice in humanity’s history: whether to continue the journey of our evolution or rather through our own selfishness and greed elect to end it.”

“The Democratic party has failed to courageously lead on climate change,” said Russell Greene, Senior Strategic Advisor to PDA. “It has not been honest with the American people as to how grave a threat we face as a nation, as individuals, families and communities. It’s as if when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor we chose not to discuss it. Everything is at risk. Hold the debate!”

DNC members will call for a floor vote on a resolution to have a climate debate at the DNC meeting in San Francisco this morning. PDA calls on all DNC members to support Resolution 5 in today’s floor vote.

VoteVets

VoteVets.org spent over $300,000 in support of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in 2012.

ARA endorsement

Alliance for Retired Americans endorsed Tulsi Gabbard in 2012.

Asian American Action Fund supported candidate

In the 2012 election, Tulsi Gabbard was supported by the Asian American Action Fund.

In the 2014 election, Tulsi Gabbard was supported by the Asian American Action Fund.

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

In 2013, Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) an Iraq War veteran, and Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) were new members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

In May 2013, Tulsi Gabbard was listed as a member the Executive Board of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Kyrsten Sinema/Tulsi Gabbard joint fundraiser In Phoenix

Two of the youngest members of the U.S. House of Representatives will hold a joint campaign fundraiser in Phoenix August 2013. Arizona Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-CD9) hosted Hawaii's Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI).

The two did not publicize the fundraiser, but Arizona's Politics became aware of it after the "Gabbard Sinema Joint Victory Fund" filed its Statement of Organization with the Federal Election Commission ("FEC") last week. The Democratic National Committee is holding its summer meeting in Phoenix this week, and Sinema welcomed her counterpart via Twitter.

Make Progress National Summit 2013

Generation Progress' Make Progress National Summit 2013 included speakers such as Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Special Assistant to the President David Simas, Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN), Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes, former Chief Technology Officer of the United States Aneesh Chopra, Amy Dacey of EMILY’s List, and Alex Wagner of MSNBC.

LIBERT-E Act

June 18, Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), Chairman of the House Liberty Caucus, and Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), the Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee, announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to address National Security Agency surveillance.

H.R. 2399, the Limiting Internet and Blanket Electronic Review of Telecommunications and Email Act (LIBERT-E Act), restricts the federal government’s ability under the Patriot Act to collect information on Americans who are not connected to an ongoing investigation. The bill also requires that secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court opinions be made available to Congress and summaries of the opinions be made available to the public.

A coalition of 32 Members of Congress joined Conyers and Amash in introducing the bill. After introduction, Conyers and Amash issued the following statement:

The following Members of Congress cosponsored the legislation:

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) Rep. John Duncan (R-TN) Rep. William Enyart (D-IL) Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) Rep. Rush Holt, Jr. (D-NJ) Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC) Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)

#cut50 Briefing in D.C. (January 22, 2015)

#cut50 packed the house with political movers and shakers on Jan. 22 2015, in Washington, D.C. to address the critical need for criminal justice reform. Speakers included Dream Corps Van Jones, Right on Crime's Vikrant Reddy, Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senator Cory Booker, and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard.

Standing Rock protest

Gabbard with Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II (center right) and supporters

U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-HI) Twitter handle is an accurate summation of the unpretentious woman who stood before 400 Veterans and Water Protectors at Sitting Bull College in Fort Yates, North Dakota. It was a frigid Dakota Saturday night, and you could have heard the proverbial pin drop echo against the metal walls as she addressed the crowd. Gabbard served two tours of duty in the Middle East, and she continues her service as a Major in the Army National Guard. In 2005 she completed a 12-month tour in Iraq, where she served in a field medical unit as a specialist with a 29th Support Battalion medical company. Gabbard was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the end of the tour.

The vets were proud to have one of their own in a visible leadership role. It was written on their faces and obvious in the occasional tear that was quickly wiped away.

In a show of solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux, Congresswoman Gabbard is joining thousands of veterans from across the United States who have come to Standing Rock and the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation to protest the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). The pipeline, if approved by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, would cross under the Missouri River and threaten not only the water supplies of Standing Rock, but also that of the Cheyenne River Sioux to the south.

In a statement to the Oceti Sakowin Camp Gabbard said, “I’m participating in the Dakota Access Pipeline protest because of the threat this project poses to water resources in four states serving millions of people.”

Addressing the universal issue of water quality, Gabbard said, “Whether it’s the threat to essential water sources in this region, the lead contamination in Flint, Michigan, or the threat posed to a major Hawaii aquifer by the Red Hill fuel leak, each example underscores the vital importance of protecting our water resources.”

“Veterans for Standing Rock,” are assembling at the Standing Rock Reservation from December 4-7 to relieve the water protectors from the harsh winter conditions and the constant emotional pressure and presence of militarized law enforcement.

“We are veterans of the United States Armed Forces, including the U.S. Army, United States Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard and we are calling for our fellow veterans to assemble as a peaceful, unarmed militia at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation on Dec 4-7 and defend the water protectors from assault and intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force and DAPL security,” the organization said.

News reports of Morton County’s use of the same weapons on Americans that veterans used against terrorists in Afghanistan and Iraq have mobilized the veteran’s community, including Wesley Clark, the son of Gen. Wesley Clark. Clark has been instrumental in fundraising for the group. So far they have raised over $1 million.

Native Nations Rise March and Rally

March 10, 2017 Tribal leaders, indigenous rights advocates, and members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe held a rally in Washington DC, to oppose the Trump administration’s approval of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and to support Native American tribal land rights. Musical performers included the Akwesasne Mohawk Women Singers, Prolific the Rapper, and Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas.

Speakers were Dave Archambault, Chair Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Gabriel Ayala, Classical Musician, Candi Brings Plenty, Director Equi Institute, Lisa DeVille Activist Mandaree, Maria DeVille, Vice President Modern Day Warriors, Peggy Flanagan, Member White Earth Band of Ojibwe, Tulsi Gabbard U.S. Representative [D] Hawaii, Mayda Garcia Representative, , Society of Native Nations, JoDe Goudy Chair Yakima Nation Tribal Council (Washington), Kim Howe, Activist, Judith LeBlanc, Native Organizers Alliance, Melissa Mark-Viverito Speaker New York, NY City Council, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez Hip Hop Artist and Activist, Alice Brown Otter, Activist, Prolific the Rapper, Fawn R. Sharp, President Quinault Indian Nation, Faith Spotted Eagle, Activist, Wes Studi, Actor and Film Producer, Taboo, Rapper, Ulali, Activist, Eryn Wise, Activist, Eagle Woman, Activist North Dakota, Royal Yellow Hawk Representative Rosebud, South Dakota-Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council.

The rallym organized by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Indigenous Environmental Network, comes a month after the Army greenlighted completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline without an environmental study.

Syria

Tulsi Gabbard is very supportive of Syria, a Russia client state.

Skeptical of Bashar al-Assad's role in Syrian chemical attack

Tulsi Gabbard questioned whether Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for an April 2017 chemical attack against civilians in Syria.

Syria visit

Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said on CNN 25th January 2017, that she met with President Bashar Assad during a recent trip to Syria.

"Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is, he is the president of Syria," Gabbard, said on CNN's "The Lead," to Jake Tapper. "In order for any peace agreement, in order for any possible viable peace agreement to occur, there has to be a conversation with him. The Syrian people will determine his outcome and what happens with their government and their future."

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) returned to Washington, DC after a week-long visit to Damascus, Aleppo, and Beirut to see and hear firsthand the impact of the war in Syria directly from the Syrian people. She heard stories of suffering, pain, courage and hope from people all across the country. She met with refugees, Syrian opposition leaders who led protests in 2011, widows and family members of Syrians fighting alongside groups like al-Qaeda, as well as those fighting on the side of the government. The Congresswoman also met with Lebanon’s newly-elected President Aoun and Prime Minister Hariri, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard, Syrian President Assad, Grand Mufti Hassoun, Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda of Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo, humanitarian workers, students, small business owners, and more.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard meets with Syrian religious leaders in Aleppo, led by Archbishop Denys Antoine Chahda of the Syrian Catholic Church of Aleppo, and joined by Archbishop Joseph Tabji of Maronite Church of Aleppo, Rev. Ibrahim Nseir of the Arab Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Aleppo, and others.

Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi did not know about the trip in advance. Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services‎‎ (AACCESS)–Ohio paid for the trip, Gabbard said. She had to get the trip cleared before leaving, and has to file another detailed report about the costs upon return.

“I return to Washington, DC with even greater resolve to end our illegal war to overthrow the Syrian government. I call upon Congress and the new Administration to answer the pleas of the Syrian people immediately and support the Stop Arming Terrorists Act. We must stop directly and indirectly supporting terrorists—directly by providing weapons, training and logistical support to rebel groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS; and indirectly through Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, and Turkey, who, in turn, support these terrorist groups. We must end our war to overthrow the Syrian government and focus our attention on defeating al-Qaeda and ISIS.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard was invited by former Congressman and Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich to travel to Lebanon and Syria on a fact-finding trip organized by the Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services (AACCESS)–Ohio. The 7-day trip was approved by the House Ethics Committee, as required by House rules, and was not taxpayer funded. The trip included visits to Aleppo, Damascus, and Beirut from January 14-22, 2017. Other members of the delegation included Dennis Kucinich's wife, longtime peace advocates Elie Khawam and Bassam Khawam, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's husband, Abraham Williams.

“From Iraq to Libya and now in Syria, the U.S. has waged wars of regime change, each resulting in unimaginable suffering, devastating loss of life, and the strengthening of groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS.

“Originally, I had no intention of meeting with Assad, but when given the opportunity, I felt it was important to take it. I think we should be ready to meet with anyone if there’s a chance it can help bring about an end to this war, which is causing the Syrian people so much suffering.

“The U.S. must stop supporting terrorists who are destroying Syria and her people. The U.S. and other countries fueling this war must stop immediately. We must allow the Syrian people to try to recover from this terrible war."

Peace movement support

February 1, 2017, United for Peace and Justice has joined with the U.S. Peace Council, Progressive Democrats of America, Veterans for Peace and several other national peace organizations to initiate a public campaign in support of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-Hawaii) STOP ARMING TERRORISTS ACT (H.R. 608), which she originally introduced to the Congress on December 8, 2016.

Please sign the petition urging support for the Stop Arming Terrorists Act.

H.R. 608 is a bipartisan bill, which has been co-sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-North Carolina), and Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Florida).

The Stop Arming Terrorists Act aims “To prohibit the use of United States Government funds to provide assistance to Al Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and to countries supporting those organizations…”. More specifically, it demands that “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds made available to any Federal department or agency may be used to provide covered assistance to Al Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and ISIL, and any individual or group that is affiliated with, associated with, cooperating with, or adherents to such groups.”

We believe that the Stop Arming Terrorists Act is a courageous and important first step toward ending the U.S. Government’s policy of forced regime change in other countries with the help of terrorist organizations. This policy has led to endless wars in the past decades, and has cost trillions of dollars at the expense of American taxpayers.

H.R. 608 has been referred to both the House Intelligence Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Given the present state of politics in our country, the chance of these committees approving the bill seems very slim in the absence of massive public expression of support for it.

End the war in Syria

Veterans for Peace endorsed Gabbard’s Stop Arming Terrorists Act.

"As veterans we took an oath to preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States. The threat to the Constitution comes not from Russia, China or ISIL but from within the walls of Washington D.C. where the Congress and the Executive branch have enmeshed the country in ongoing unnecessary, illegal and unconstitutional wars. As Veterans for Peace we seek to restrain our government from intervening, overtly or covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations," said Barry Ladendorf, President of Veterans for Peace. "Certainly, the U.S. government should not be supporting regime change wars nor directly or indirectly supporting known terrorist organizations, proxy groups and their allies to violently overthrow established governments. We also thank Rep. Gabbard, a veteran of the Iraq War, for introducing this important bill, Stop Arming Terrorist, which Veterans For Peace proudly supports and for her recent important fact finding trip to Syria," continued Ladendorf, who served as a naval officer during the Vietnam War.

Donna Smith, Executive Director of Progressive Democrats of America said, "Progressive Democrats of America believes that it is fundamentally wrong for the United States to fund those groups or individuals aligned with al-Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, ISIS, or other terrorist/extremist organizations. The 'Stop Arming Terrorists' bill authored by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, of Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District, would help bring an end to the human tragedy unfolding in Syria where the haunting eyes of the innocent children of Aleppo call on us all to stop supporting those who threaten and kill them with ferocious intention. War is war, and terrorism is terrorism whether waged by the state or from external forces. PDA supports this measure."

Alfred Marder, President of the U.S. Peace Council said, “The U.S. Peace Council is honored to endorse and support the ‘Stop Arming Terrorists Bill’ as a major contribution to peace. This legislation will serve to galvanize the anti-war movement and the opposition to regime change policies that characterize our present foreign policy.”

"Et tu Dennis?"

Bassam Khawam, a former executive director and current board member of the Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services (AACCESS-Ohio), said that Tulsi Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria wasn’t the first trip his Cleveland-based organization has coordinated for U.S. lawmakers to the Middle East. Founded in 1991 to serve the Arab American community in Ohio, AACCESS has organized three trips to the region for Dennis Kucinich, the former Democratic congressman from Ohio, between 2006 and 2011; Khawam said the group did the same for Gabbard, a two-term Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, because of her expressed interest in the region.

Right?

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii is also frequently quoted and retweeted in anti-war circles despite her well-documented Islamophobia, her enthusiastic support for the chauvinistic Hindu nationalism of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, her praise for brutal dictators like Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and her cooperation with the right-wing organization that arranged her trip to Syria to meet with the war criminal Bashar al-Assad. Gabbard initially declined to say who financed her trip to Syria. However, in a press release Gabbard revealed her delegation (which also included former Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich) had been “led and sponsored by” an outfit called the Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services (AACCESS—Ohio). Her statement added she and the rest of the delegation had been accompanied by two men, Elie Khawam and Bassam Khawam.

A 2006 article refers to “Sam Khawam,” an alias of Bassam Khawam’s, as the “chairman of the Arab American Community Center for Social and Economic Services.” It would suggest, then, despite the slight naming discrepancy (“Social and Economic” rather than “Economic and Social”), that the Messrs. Khawam are part of AACCESS.The Guardian reported that Bassam Khawam was the executive director of the organization.

Gabbard’s press release described the pair as “longtime peace advocates.”

In truth, Bassam Khawam and Elie Khawam are both officials in the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), a political party and paramilitary organization founded in Lebanon in 1932, and currently actively engaged in the Syrian civil war on the side of the Assad regime.

According to the SSNP website, Elie enjoys a senior position in the politburo; “Chief of Cross-Border Affairs;” while Bassam was given the honor of presenting Syria’s ambassador to the UN, Bashar al-Ja`fari, with a gift and a toast at a New York dinner in 2015. The pair, in other words, are two of the key U.S.-based point men for the party—and, by extension, the Syrian dictatorship.

Highlights of the party’s activities since its founding include assassinating the first Lebanese prime minister, Riad al-Solh, in 1951; and participating in the brief civil war of 1958 as well as its much less-brief successor from 1975-90, during which period they earned the distinction of recruiting Lebanon’s first female suicide bomber, 16-year-old Sana’ Mehaidli, who drove an explosives-laden Peugeot into a convoy of Israeli troops in 1985.

In May 2008, the SSNP assisted the Islamist militants of Hezbollah in their armed takeover of Beirut’s western half, and has ruled its fiefdom of Hamra with an iron fist ever since, famously assaulting and attempting to kidnap the late Christopher Hitchens in 2009, and less famously hospitalizing the Lebanese journalist Omar Harqous.

When the Syrian uprising began in 2011, it fell to the SSNP to violently disperse anti-regime demonstrators outside the Syrian embassy in Beirut, using “fists, sticks, and belts.” Most recently, the party has dispatched an estimated 6,000-8,000 fighters to the Syrian battlefield to help the Assad regime annihilate its opponents, to whom the SSNP officially refers as the “Jews of the interior” and “an essential arm of the racist Jewish enemy.”

Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project

January 4 2017, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (center), lead sponsor in the House of the Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015, pose for a photo with leaders of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, from left Jon Melegrito, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, FilVetREP Chairman, Ben de Guzman and Marie Blanco.

CPC

Tulsi Gabbard had joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus by October 2017.

AAPI Mobilization to demand a CLEAN DREAM ACT

Al Green, Tulsi Gabbard, Judy Chu, and Raja Krishnamoorthi

South Asian Americans Leading Together November 27, 2017.

On Nov 15 and 16, SAALT along with NCAPA, AAJC, APALA, NAKASEC and other national partners rallied on Capitol Hill to press for the passage of a clean, bicameral Dream Act and Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Over 120 Asian American and Pacific Islander undocumented youth and allies, including two young South Asian DREAMers brought in by SAALT, hosted a press conference, rally, and individual meetings with House and Senate leadership. This included Representative Judy Chu, Representative Luis Gutierrez Representative Ro Khanna, Senator Dick Durbin, and Senator Dianne Feinstein, among many others. The young leaders demanded a clean DREAM Act that doesn’t compromise the future of other immigrants or negatively impact our immigration system.

Attending the rally were Al Green, Tulsi Gabbard, Judy Chu, Pramila Jayapal, and Raja Krishnamoorthi.

Potential president

Letter with NIAC

Washington, D.C. – December 2018, National Iranian American Council worked with Rep. Jared Huffman and a group of 13 lawmakers who sent a letter to the the State Department regarding the dire humanitarian impact of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian people. On February 15, the State Department sent its response to the lawmakers. Rep. Huffman’s letter requested responses on the following questions:

Is it a deliberate strategy of the Trump administration to starve the Iranian people or deprive them of basic medicines? If not, what substantive steps has the administration taken to ensure the Iranian people have continued access to life-saving medicines?

Which foreign nations have expressed concern about the humanitarian impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran, and what have they asked the administration to do to ensure the free flow of humanitarian goods to Iran?

According to a report in The Guardian, the United Kingdom, France and Germany have pushed both the State and Treasury Departments to produce a “white list” that would “give clear guidelines about what channels European banks and companies should follow to conduct legitimate transactions with Iran without fear of future penalties.” Has the State or Treasury Departments acted upon this proposal to establish a white channel to ensure the flow of humanitarian goods? If not, why not?

What additional measures have been contemplated to ensure the free flow of humanitarian goods to the Iranian people? If these were rejected, why were they rejected?

Are broader license authorizations or exemptions necessary to ensure the flow of humanitarian goods to Iran? If not, what is the evidence for this assessment?

Other signatories included Reps Barbara Lee, Mark Pocan, Bobby Rush, Ro Khanna, Jim McGovern, Tulsi Gabbard, Zoe Lofgren, Don Beyer, Mark DeSaulnier, Jan Schakowsky, Matt Cartwright, Earl Blumenauer, Anna Eshoo.

NIAC praise

July 16 2019 Washington DC – Moments ago, Reps. Barbara Lee, Jan Schakowsky, and David Price introduced a resolution calling for the United States to return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran deal, from which President Trump withdrew in May 2018.

In response, NIAC President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s decision to abandon the Iran nuclear deal has put the U.S. on the brink of war with Iran and threatened to undo the hard won constraints against Iran’s nuclear program. Thankfully, many Members of Congress recognize that there is no military solution to the present crisis, and that the best way to de-escalate is for the U.S. to return to compliance with the nuclear deal. Representatives Lee, Schakowsky and Price should be commended for their years of leadership in advancing peace and diplomacy, including by introducing this important resolution.

“NIAC strongly supports a U.S. return to its JCPOA commitments and first issued a white paper in support of such a move last November. We proudly supported the DNC’s adoption of a resolution committing to return the U.S. to its JCPOA commitments. And we advocated for and welcome the strong majority of Democratic Presidential contenders who have also committed to returning to our diplomatic obligations — including Warren, Sanders, Harris, Buttigieg, Biden, Gabbard, and O’Rourke.

Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders for Bernie

Erica Y. Lee, June 1, 2016:

Photo Credit: Arun Chaudhary — with Tulsi Gabbard, Timmy Lu, Jane Sandoval, Aparna Shah and Bernie Sanders.

Tulsi for President?

Rania Batrice, an adviser to Tulsi Gabbard and deputy campaign manager on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, has been putting out feelers for digital and speechwriting staff for Gabbard. One person approached about the positions say that 2020 wasn’t mentioned explicitly, but it was heavily implied.

Batrice denied that the staffers are being hired for a presidential campaign. She did not dispute, however, that Gabbard is considering joining what’s expected to be a crowded field of Democratic presidential contenders.

“I think everybody is focused on 2018, but we will see what happens after that,” Batrice said in an interview. “Someone like Tulsi, with her experience, is an important voice in the party and the country.”

Amid the clamor of Trump headlines and focus on higher-profile candidates, Gabbard has been quietly making the traditional moves of a presidential candidate. She recently visited Iowa, where locals urged her to run for president, according to the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She keynoted a progressive gathering in New Hampshire in September. And she’s writing a book due out this spring titled, “Is Today the Day?: Not Another Political Memoir.”

Gabbard became a darling of the left in 2016 when she resigned as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee after fighting against a primary debate schedule that seemed designed to give Hillary Clinton an advantage. She was one of the first members of Congress to endorse Sanders.

“There’s a very clear contrast and clear difference when it comes to our two Democratic candidates,” Gabbard said at the time, “and who will exercise good judgment” in matters of war.

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Rick Nagin January 18 2019:

Tulsi Gabbard was one of four Congresspeople to endorse Bernie Sanders (the others being Grijalva (AZ), Ellison (MN) and Kaptur (OH)). She then resigned as vice chair of the DNC. She broke with Clinton over Clinton's regime change foreign policy (Honduras, Iraq, and Syria, especially). This showed extraordinary courage and progressive independence. She will make a tremendous contribution to the primary debate and help move the electorate in a progressive direction. I have great confidence that she would be a great president. Her election would be an enormous defeat for rightwing extremism and its policies of racism, male supremacy and war.

Presidential campaign staff

• Erin McCallum Communications consultant
• Erika Tsuji Spokeswoman
• Policy Consultant Lauren Michele (Mar. 2019) Principal/founder of Policy in Motion, from Aug. 2010. Policy analyst for the UC Davis Urban Land Use and Transportation Center, 2008-10. Transportation planner at Fehr & Peers, 2006-10. M.S. in transportation technology and policy (2010) and B.S. in environmentap policy analysis and planning (2006) from UC Davis.
• Organizing Director Amaury Dujardin Field director on Committee to Elect Jay Gonzalez (MA governor), Dec. 2017-Nov. 2018.. Campaign manager for Ruthanne Fuller for Mayor of Newton, MA, Dec. 2016-Dec. 2017. Campaign manager on Committee to Electe Dylan Fernandes in Falmouth, MA. Digital media manager at Amplify Incorporated, Oct. 2015-June 2016. B.S. in mass communication from Boston University, 2015.
• Caitlin Rose Pomerantz
• Ryan P. Healy

Notable staff departures

• Noland Chambliss Campaign management services
• Rania Batrice Campaign manager February 2, 2019

State staff

IOWA

• Ankita Maheshwari, Fairfield
• Chris Laursen, Ottumwa
• Craig Armstrong, Newton
• Hardy Whiteman

NEW HAMPSHIRE

• Alan Vervaeke, Gilford
• David Skrabal, Portsmouth
• Donnie Harpell, Gilford
• Jessica Griffin, Bedford
• Susan Wilkinson, Berwick, ME

NEVADA

• Jessica Wolfe, Wadsworth
• Lynn Lombardi, Las Vegas
• Micah Knipple, Las Vegas

SOUTH CAROLINA

• Shelly Wilkinson, Charleston
• Shane Smith, Greenville

Staff

• Chief of Staff - Kainoa Penaroza
• Scheduler - Amanda Koski
• Legislative Director - Adam Schantz
• Press Secretary - Lauren McIlvaine
• Immigration Issues - Adam Schantz