| Tulsi Gabbard | |
| |
| 8th Homeland Security Advisor | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2021 | |
| President | Ivanka Trump |
| Preceded by | Nicole Lurie |
| President and Chair of People for Peace | |
| In office: September 10, 2018 - January 2, 2021 | |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Kucinich |
| Member of the United States House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Mazie Hirono |
| Succeeded by | Cindy Adams |
| Member of the Honolulu City Council from the 6th District | |
| In office January 2, 2011 – August 16, 2012 | |
| Preceded by: | Rod Tam |
| Succeeded by | Carol Fukunaga |
| Biography | |
| Born: | April 12, 1981 (age 41) Leloaloa, American Samoa |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Eduardo Tamayo (m. 2002; div. 2006) Abraham Williams (m. 2015) |
| Alma mater | Hawaii Pacific University (BSBA) |
| Occupation | Politician, Soldier |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America
|
| Service/branch |  United States Army
|
| Years of service | 2003-Present |
| Rank |  Major
|
| Unit |  Hawaii National Guard
|
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal (with oak leaf cluster) Army Achievement Medal (with oak leaf cluster) |
Tulsi Gabbard (/ˈtʌlsi ˈɡæbərd/, born April 12, 1981) is an American politician currently serving as the 8th Homeland Security Advisor, in the Ivanka Trump administration. She previously served as a U.S. Representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2019 and is a former candidate for Vice President of the United States.
Gabbard was the first Samoan American and the first Hindu member of the United States Congress. While serving in the House of Representatives, she named environmental policy, foreign policy, and homeland security as her priorities. She served on the Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Select Committee on Covert Communications. She previously served as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee until February 28th, 2016, when she resigned to endorse Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination.
Following the her narrow primary loss in 2018 to Cindy Adams, Gabbard founded the political action organization People for Peace to advocate for her ideas on a national and international stage. She concurrently served on the Board of Directors for the 501(c)(4) organization Not by a Mile.
Gabbard was widely considered a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primary against President Hillary Clinton, before endorsing the candidacy of Carl Gershman. On October 15th, Gershman selected Gabbard as his running mate for the nomination.
Despite her running mate suspending his campaign on March 11th, 2020, Gabbard announced in a press conference the following day that she would continue her bid for Vice President, seeking to replace incumbent Luis Gutiérrez. She suspended her campaign on July 13th, 2020, citing the challenges of carrying her message forward or securing influence in a largely virtual Democratic National Convention. Gabbard would eventually declare her support for the successful candidacy of Republican nominee Ivanka Trump.
On November 23rd, 2020, President-elect Trump named Gabbard as her choice for Homeland Security Advisor. She took office on January 20th, 2021.
Early Career[]
Gabbard served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004; when she was elected at age 21, Gabbard was the youngest woman to be elected to the state legislature. A year later, she stepped down to serve in a field medical unit of the Hawaii Army National Guard in a combat zone in Iraq, becoming the first state official in Hawaii to do so. She was deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 and was later deployed to Kuwait.
Her father, Mike Gabbard, would be elected to the Senate of Hawaii in 2006.
Hawaii House of Representatives[]
During her tenure in the state legislature, Gabbard strongly supported legislation to promote clean energy. She supported legislation to expand tax credits for solar and wind, improve the net energy metering program, establish renewable energy portfolio standards, reduce taxes on the sale of ethanol and biofuels, provide funding for a seawater air conditioning project and make it easier for condo and townhouse owners to get solar energy units.
As a state representative, Gabbard opposed LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage and civil unions, stating that "to act as if there is a difference between 'civil unions' and same-sex marriage is dishonest, cowardly and extremely disrespectful to the people of Hawaii." In a 2015 profile by Ozy, Gabbard told journalist Sanjena Sathian that her personal views hadn't changed, but felt that she shouldn't force her beliefs on others.
Hawaii National Guard[]
Gabbard served two tours of duty in the Middle East, and she has continued her service as a Major in the Army National Guard as an elected official. She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the end of her tour in Iraq.
In between her two tours, Gabbard served in the U.S. Senate as a legislative aide to Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI), where she advised him on homeland security, energy and the environment, and veterans issues. While still working as an aide, Gabbard graduated from the Alabama Military Academy in 2007, where she was the first woman to finish as the distinguished honor graduate in the Academy's history. Gabbard was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to the 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion of the Hawaii Army National Guard, to serve as the Military Police Platoon Leader.
Honolulu City Council[]
In 2010, Tulsi was elected to the Honolulu City Council, serving as Chair of the Safety, Economic Development, and Government Affairs Committee and Vice Chair of the Budget Committee.
U.S. House of Representatives[]
Elections[]
In early 2011, Mazie Hirono, the incumbent Congresswoman for Hawaii's second district, announced that she would run for the U.S. Senate. Soon after, in May 2011, Gabbard announced her candidacy for the open House seat; she was subsequently endorsed by the Sierra Club, Emily's List, and VoteVets.org. Mufi Hannemann, Mayor of Honolulu, was the best-known candidate in the six-way primary, but Gabbard surged and ultimately won 55% of the total votes cast with Hannemann finishing second with 34%. Gabbard coasted to victory in the general election, defeating Republican Kawika Crowley with over 80% of the vote.
Gabbard was re-elected with little in the way of primary competition in 2014 and 2016, and easily won re-election in the heavily Democratic district. In the 2018 election, however, Gabbard faced a serious challenge from Cindy Adams, President and CEO of the community activist organization Aloha United Way (AUW). High-profile endorsements from the Clinton administration, including Vice President Luis Gutiérrez, traveled to the district to campaign for Adams, who was additionally supported by the Hawai'i State Teachers Association. Gabbard lost the August 11th primary to Adams, 47%-53%.
Domestic Policy[]
Energy and Environment[]
In the 115th Congress, Gabbard introduced H.R. 3671 - the Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act (OFF Act) - with the stated goal of putting the United States on a pathway to replace fossil fuels with 100% clean energy generation and use by 2035.
Gabbard additionally co-founded Healthy Hawaiʻi Coalition, an environmental educational group of which she is Vice President and Educational Programs Coordinator.
In December 2016, Gabbard, along with approximately 2,000 U.S. military veterans dubbed "The Veterans Stand for Standing Rock," traveled to North Dakota to join the protests against the construction of the final leg of the Dakota Access Pipeline near the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Indian Reservations.
Foreign Policy[]
Syria[]
See Also: Syrian Peace Process, January 2017-Present (The More Things Changed)
As a Representative, Gabbard often spoke against the policies of the Obama and Clinton administrations in Syria against Bashar al-Assad, calling it a "counterproductive war to overthrow the Syrian government of Syria," arguing that it was illegal as Congress had never declared war, and would open the door for terrorist groups such as ISIL to increase their foothold in the region.
Together with Representative Austin Scott (R-GA), Gabbard introduced H.R.4108, to prohibit the use of funds for the provision of assistance to Syrian opposition groups and individuals.
Gabbard and Kucinich in their visit to Syria, 2017
In 2015, Gabbard was one of 47 House Democrats to vote for the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act (SAFE Act), which would require extra background investigation Syrian and Iraqi refugees before entry into the United States.
In January 2017, Gabbard met with Bashar al-Assad during a trip to Syria, sponsored by Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services (AACCESS-Ohio). The chairman of AACCESS, Bassem Khawam, and former Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich accompanied Gabbard on the trip. The following year, Gabbard took part in an official Congressional delegation to Jordan, and rallied support among other delegations in favor of the Amman Declaration, to lay out the prerequisites for a peace process and the postwar Syrian state.
For her role in the process, Gabbard was considered as a potential recipient of the Democracy Award, given annually by the National Endowment for Democracy's Board of Directors to recognize "the courageous and creative work of individuals and organizations that have advanced the cause of human rights and democracy around the world."
Covert Communications[]
Main Article: House Select Committee on Covert Communications (The More Things Changed)
The House Select Committee on Covert Communications was formed on September 4th, 2017, to investigate revelations - first reported in The New York Times document leaks - that then-Secretary of Education Randi Weingarten and senior Education Department officials had maintained improper communications with the officials from the Republic of Turkey and concealed them from the public. Representative Gabbard, as part of the Democratic minority on the committee, emerged as a leading critic of Weingarten and the Clinton administration's response.
Criticism of the SDC[]
Logo of the Congressional Reeds Caucus (since 2018)
In July 2018, Gabbard formed the 13-member House Reeds Caucus (CRC), a group of Democratic Representatives concerned with the role of the Strategic Diplomacy Council in U.S.-Russian relations and seeking alternate diplomatic strategies. During her vice-presidential bid, Gabbard has called for the SDC to be disbanded.
In the initial press release for the CRC, the six goals of the caucus were:
- To promote diplomacy formed on the basis of cooperation and shared humanity
- To promote international understanding and transparency
- To recognize the urgent need to rapidly develop lines of communication and trust
- To reduce tensions and work to end the new Cold War
- To halt further escalation of arms development and production
- To provide a forum for members of Congress to discuss alternative diplomatic strategies
During her tenure as Chair of the CRC, Gabbard organized a congressional delegation to Moscow to meet with members of the Russian State Duma and establish a more direct line of contact between the two legislatures.
2016 Presidential Election[]
On February 28th, 2016, Representative Gabbard stepped down as Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and endorsed Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee for the Democratic nomination for President; she was the second sitting member of Congress to do so, after Rhode Island Representative David Cicilline. In her endorsement, she stated:
Gabbard enters Chafee's name for the nomination at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
"I think it’s most important for us, as we look at our choices as to who our next commander in chief will be, is to recognize the necessity to have a commander in chief who has foresight, who exercises good judgment."
Gabbard would go on to serve as an informal advisor to the campaign on foreign policy and security issues. At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, she gave the nominating speech putting Chafee's name forward.
People for Peace[]
Following the her narrow primary loss in 2018 to Cindy Adams, Gabbard founded the political action organization People for Peace to advocate for her ideas on a national and international stage.
Arctic Status Agreement[]
Main Article: Arctic Status Agreement (The More Things Changed)
Gabbard campaigns against the ASA in Utqiagvik (fomerly Barrow), Alaska, in 2019
The Arctic Status Agreement (ASA) is an international agreement to regulate international relations with respect to the Arctic region, including research, transportation, resource extraction, and territorial boundaries. As negotiated by the Clinton administration and the other governments of the Arctic countries, the ASA sets territorial boundaries to the 86th parallel north, and contains guidelines for environmental protections.
As both a Representative and as the head of People for Peace, Gabbard has been outspoken in her opposition to the agreement, arguing that it doesn't take into consideration costs of environmental impacts, and would limit the capability of the United States to enforce its own environmental laws. She has called for stronger international compliance, with a mandated enforcement mechanism in place.
Syria[]
Gabbard has continued the issue advocacy in the Federal Republic of Syria she pushed for as a member of Congress. During a four-day visit to the country in January 2019, she met with an array of political and business leaders, including Maher al-Assad - President of the Council of Governors and brother of former President Bashar al-Assad - and touring reconstruction in the cities of Homs and Aleppo.
As President of People for Peace, Gabbard stated her goal of monitoring the proper devolution of powers to the local level. At the conclusion of her visit to the country, she unveiled the Community Support Network, an organization of local business and community leaders from across the country, with a $100,000 USD starting grant.
Iran[]
As a member of Congress, Gabbard voted for the Nuclear Iran Prevention Act of 2013, which sought to slash Iran's oil sales to 250,000 barrels a day by the end of 2014, from the current 1.25 million barrels. She later voted for Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 - which would have given Congress the right to review any agreement reached in the P5+1 talks with Iran - before ultimately voting for a nonbinding resolution supporting the JCPOA agreement, citing it as the better alternative between two bad options. She has criticized both the Obama and Clinton administrations' Iran policies, stating "There seems to be really a lack of coherent strategy with regards to how we, as the United States, are dealing with Iran as we look at this threat of nuclear armed Iran as well as this threat of Islamic extremists like ISIS, like al Qaeda, like Boko Haram."
People for Peace has hosted a series of forums with business leaders and activists, both in the United States and internationally, seeking to promote divestment from Iran. In the February 2019 forum in Calgary, Alberta, the organization brought together over 600 companies from across North America pledging to refrain from trading with Iran or from doing business with vendors who trade with Iran. Concurrently, People for Peace organized a demonstration in Washington D.C., in protest of what the group describes as lobbyists stoking tensions between Iran and the United States.
2020 Presidential Election[]
See Also: Democratic Party Presidential Primaries, 2020 (The More Things Changed)
Both before and after her 2018 re-election campaign, Gabbard had been named in several media outlets as a potential primary challenger against incumbent President Hillary Clinton. She stated that she was "looking into" a potential run, and visited the early contest states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
In September 2019, Gabbard ruled out a campaign of her own and endorsed the candidacy of Carl Gershman, former President of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Vice Presidential Candidacy[]
Main Article: Tulsi Gabbard Vice-Presidential Campaign, 2020 (The More Things Changed)
See Also: Carl Gershman Presidential Campaign, 2020 (The More Things Changed)
On October 15th, 2019, Carl Gershman presented Gabbard as his running mate for the nomination at a campaign rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. If elected, Gabbard would have served as the first woman, the youngest person, and the first Samoan-American and Hindu to serve in that capacity.
Despite her running mate suspending his campaign on March 11th, 2020, Gabbard announced in a press conference the following day that she would continue her bid for Vice President, seeking to replace incumbent Luis Gutiérrez.
Gabbard's bid gained significant media attention as one of the few specific bids for Vice President in United State's history. Gabbard's antagonistic relationship with former senior Gershman campaign staff, particularly former campaign manager Barbara Lawton, garnered additional attention. Gershman received more votes than Clinton in four primary contests after he had dropped out - Wyoming, Nebraska, West Virginia, and the Northern Mariana Islands - which Gabbard pointed to as victories for her campaign.
She suspended her campaign on July 13th, 2020, citing the challenges of carrying her message forward or securing influence in a largely virtual Democratic National Convention.
During the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, Gabbard's name was placed in contention for the party's vice presidential nomination. She was eliminated after the third ballot and received the fourth-highest number of delegates; the nomination would ultimately go to Representative Martha Rainville of Vermont. While Gabbard did not officially or even intentionally seek out the nomination, she issued a statement thanking her supporters within the Libertarian Party and called it an honor to be considered.
General Election and Transition[]
Gabbard was one of the highest-profile Democrats to endorse Trump's bid for the White House, and received a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. She served as co-Chair of Democrats for Ivanka, one of the campaign's "Coalition Connections" - social media and text-based outreach networks. She additionally served on the campaign's Homeland Security Advisory Board.
On November 23rd, President-elect Trump named Gabbard as her choice for Homeland Security Advisor.
Homeland Security Advisor[]
As the position does not require Senate confirmation, Gabbard took office as Homeland Security Advisor on January 20th, 2021.
At the start of the Trump administration, the position of Homeland Security Advisor was elevated to the rank of Deputy Assistant to the President, making it equal in rank to the Deputy National Security Advisor.
Homeland Security Council[]
In National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 (NSM-2) and Executive Order 14130, President Trump reorganized the National Security Council (NSC) and Homeland Security Council (HSC) system. Under the new organization, certain directorates previously under the National Security Advisor have been moved diretly under the Homeland Security Advisor.
Statutory Members[]
| Position | Office | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Chair | President of the United States | Ivanka Trump (2021-Present) |
| Regular Attendees | Vice President Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of Energy Secretary of Homeland Security National Security Advisor Homeland Security Advisor Ambassador to the United Nations Administrator of the EPA Director of the CIA Director of the FBI |
Bobby Jindal (2021-Present) Rudy Giuliani (2021-Present) Sigal Mandelker (Acting, 2021-Present) Tom Cotton (2021-Present) Scott Pruitt (2021-Present) Adam Kinzinger (2021-Present) Carly Fiorina (2021-Present) Gary Berntsen (2021-Present) Tulsi Gabbard (2021-Present) Eric Bost (2021-Present) Nan Hayworth (2021-Present) Mike Flynn (2021-Present) James Comey (2013-Present) |
| Statutory Military Advisor | Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff | Gen. Mark A. Milley (2019-Present) |
| Statutory Intelligence Advisor | Director of National Intelligence | John Bolton (2021-Present) |
| Additional Attendees | White House Chief of Staff Senior Advisor to the President Counselor to the President Director of the OMB |
Julie Radford (2021-Present) Dina Powell McCormick (2021-Present) Steve Bannon (2021-Present) Jim DeMint (2021-Present) |
Staff and Personnel[]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Deputy Homeland Security Advisor | Guido Weiss (2021-Present) |
| Chief of Staff | Kainoa Penaroza (2021-Present) |
| Senior Advisor and Director for Strategic Assessments | Andrew Bacevich (2021-Present) |
| Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs | Stephen Walt (2021-Present) Stephen Kinzer (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Immigration, Migrants, and Refugees | Colin Finn (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Intelligence Programs | Ezra Cohen-Watnick (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Environmental Security | Dan Brewer (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Domestic Nuclear Defense | Cmdr. Scott A. Rosetti (Navy) (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Domestic Readiness | Theresa Murray (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Records, Information Security, and Communications Systems | Zack Exley (2021-Present) |
| Senior Director for Counter-Terrorism and National Preparedness | Owen West (2021-Present) |
| Director, Office of Homeland Security Information | Chris Cooper (2021-Present) |
| Director of Communications | Erika Tsuji (2021-Present) |
Memoranda[]
During her first week as Homeland Security Advisor, Gabbard issued several memoranda outlining the administration's homeland security priorities.
On January 21st, Gabbard directed the creation of an Environmental Security Policy Coordination Committee; Policy Coordination Committees (PCCs) are the main day-to-day fora for interagency coordination of national security and homeland security policies. PCCs are chaired by Senior Directors on the NSC or HSC staff, with participation primarily occurring at the Assistant Secretary level. A directorate was additionally created, under the HSC, providing a dedicated staff for the PCC. A subsequent memo declared that environmental security was a "top concern" to the Homeland Security Council and the Trump administration.
On January 26th, Gabbard issued a memorandum stating that it was the policy of the Homeland Security Council (HSC) that congressional approval would be sought prior to any military engagement in Iran, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Macedonia, or Russia. Mozambique was later added to this new policy. This was unusual for a Homeland Security Advisor to issue a memo concerning military operations separately from the National Security Council.
Gabbard has additionally issued a memorandum suspending from the visa waiver program any country that has identified passport holders fighting with an Islamist extremist organization, and subsequently defining the administration's criteria for an Islamist extremist organization.