Concord
Terrorism and Middle Eastern policy are poised to be top issues in the competitive race, and Republicans are already trying to paint Hassan as weak on national security.
Ayotte, who has positioned herself as a hawk on foreign policy during her five years on Capitol Hill, serves on Senate committees for armed services and homeland security. As governor, Hassan has less purview of international affairs.
Hassan keeps up on international issues by reading news, reviewing reports and consulting with experts, she told the Concord Monitor editorial board in a recent interview.
While the Democrat wouldn’t name any of her advisers during the interview, her campaign later provided a three-person list that includes U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, former New Hampshire congressman and U.S. ambassador to Denmark Dick Swett and former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jim Smith, of Salem.
None of the advisers would explicitly outline advice they’ve given Hassan, but the two former ambassadors say isolationism is detrimental, and America should focus its international efforts on economic development over military force.
Shaheen, who has long been a mentor to Hassan and serves on the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, declined a request for an interview.
Hassan has so far centered her U.S. Senate campaign on domestic issues that include preserving Medicare and Social Security, giving women access to reproductive health care and making college affordable.
But in a recent interview with the Monitor editorial board, Hassan outlined priorities on foreign policy, and emphasized a balance between diplomacy and strength.
She called for the U.S. to maintain a strong military, but said it should be used only as a last resort. She pushed for the country to take care of the “world’s most vulnerable people” and also ensure safety of American citizens.
But Hassan offered few policy details about how to achieve those goals. On tension in the South China Sea, Hassan said the U.S. should continue putting pressure “on all of the parties” to keep the body of water open for shipping and passage.
The Democrat staked out positions on Middle East policy, saying she opposes an expansion of American combat troops in Syria and Iraq, but supports increased airstrikes in the fight against ISIS. She said America hasn’t done enough to combat the terrorist organization, and urged Congress to pass an authorization of use of military force that outlines how the country proceeds in the fight against ISIS.
Ayotte’s campaign has criticized Hassan on foreign policy issues, but it’s not yet clear what role the topic will play in the race.
Hassan has taken strong stands on national security. She drew criticism from members of her own party last year when she called for the U.S. to temporarily stop accepting Syrian refugees after the Paris terror attacks. Hassan was one of the more than two dozen governors to take that position, but the only Democrat.
Both Swett and Smith said they didn’t advise her on the refugee issue. Shaheen’s stance that “refugees seeking entry into the United States undergo rigorous processing” ran in contrast to Hassan’s.