John DelaneyBorn in 1963, John Delaney earned a B.A. from Columbia University in 1985 and a J.D. from Georgetown University School of Law in 1988. He was an entrepreneur, co-founding two lending firms in 1993 and 2000, before entering politics. He served as a U.S. Representative from Maryland from 2013 until 2019, when he left Congress to focus on his campaign.
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Arms Trade Treaty
Delaney explicitly supports ratifying the Arms Trade Treaty.
Response to Amnesty International questionnaire, June 2019
“Once elected president, I would reverse the Trump Administration’s decision to revoke its signature of the Arms Trade Treaty. Additionally, I would ensure the U.S. has a high, clear standard for foreign military sales to prevent U.S. weapons from being used to commit human rights violations.”
Arms Sales to Saudi Coalition
Delaney explicitly supports ending arms sales and military support to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.
During the Obama administration, he explicitly stated his opposition to sales of cluster munitions.
During the Obama administration, he explicitly stated his opposition to sales of cluster munitions.
Response to Amnesty International questionnaire, June 2019
“I support ending U.S. military aid to Saudi Arabia for its war in Yemen.”
Response to Council on Foreign Relations questionnaire, July 30, 2019
“While I would not completely cut ties and would continue to do essential business with the country, I would not receive any Saudi official in the White House, and I would not extend high-level U.S. official visits to Saudi Arabia. I would impress upon Saudi officials the importance of respecting human rights at home and abroad. Additionally, I support ending U.S. military support to Saudi Arabia for the purpose of carrying out their military operations in Yemen.”
Speech in the House, June 24, 2016
“Saudi Arabia is a U.S. ally in the Middle East, supporting our counterterrorism efforts in the region. As with many allies, the United States enters into agreements to sell military equipment to help achieve mutual goals. Included in the sale with Saudi Arabia were cluster munitions. Alarmingly, Saudi Arabia has used cluster munitions contrary to U.S. law which prohibits the use of this weapon in populated areas and those that have failure rate of above 1 percent.
Cluster munitions contain multiple, explosive submunitions that are released mid-air and spread out, making targeting a specific location difficult and may put civilians in harm's way. The weapon is designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy their transportation and infrastructure. When used improperly, the cluster munitions are a danger to innocent civilians. Additionally, unpredictable landings and explosive remnants can put civilians in danger long after the violence had ended. This is a human rights issue.
President Obama recently blocked the sale of cluster munitions to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen amid reports by human rights organizations that have documented killing and wounding of civilians in violation of U.S. law. I support the President's decision to halt the sale of these dangerous weapons and support Congressman Conyers' amendment to prevent the sale of cluster munitions in the Department of Defense Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2017.”
Firearms Export Reclassification
Delaney’s position on this issue is unknown. He supports banning assault-style weapons domestically, but has not directly referenced their sale abroad.