Mr. Speaker, between September 11, 2001, and January, 2009, the United States relied on military force as the primary tool of foreign policy. Now we see the tragic results of this tragedy. We remain bogged down in Iraq, Afghanistan is in turmoil, Pakistan is on the brink of chaos, and the threat of nuclear weapons continues to haunt the world.

It is very clear, Mr. Speaker, that the military option hasn't worked. That is why I believe it is time for a new and better approach to our foreign policy. This new approach must focus on diplomacy, international cooperation, conflict prevention and ending the threat of nuclear weapons.

I have sponsored a comprehensive plan to achieve all of these goals. It is called the ``Smart Security Platform For the 21st Century.'' I invite all of my colleagues to consider House Resolution 363, which describes this plan in detail.

The Smart Security Platform would help to eliminate the root causes of instability and violent conflict in the world by increasing development aid and debt relief to the poorest countries. It would further address the root causes of violence by supporting programs that promote conflict resolution, human rights and democracy building. It would also support educational opportunities for the girls and women who hardly ever see the inside of a classroom.

The Smart Security Platform, Mr. Speaker, also calls for the United States to work with the U.N. and NATO and other multilateral institutions to strengthen international institutions and international law. It calls for reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons by supporting the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the Nonproliferation Treaty and the Biological and Chemical Weapons Convention. It calls for the adequate funding of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program to secure nuclear materials in Russia and to secure nuclear materials and other materials in other countries as well and to reduce nuclear stockpiles.

It calls upon the United States to set an example for the rest of the world by renouncing the development of new nuclear weapons and working towards achieving Ronald Reagan's vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. It would reduce our dependence on foreign oil by investing in renewable energy alternatives, thereby stopping the flow of hundreds of billions of American dollars to irresponsible regimes. It includes strategies to strengthen international intelligence and law enforcement operations to bring individuals involved in violent acts to justice, while respecting human and civil rights. And it supports civil organizations and programs in the developing world because they play a critically important role in preventing or resolving conflicts.

I want to thank the cosponsors of H. Res. 363, Chairman John Conyers, Chairman Ed Markey, Congresswomen Barbara Lee and Maxine Waters, cofounders of the Out of Iraq Caucus, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore, a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, the Smart Security Platform For the 21st Century is ambitious, wide-ranging and tough. It uses the many national security tools that we have. It would make us safer here at home. It would cost less than what we are spending now on national security. And it isn't ``soft'' power, Mr. Speaker. It is real power. It is smart power. It is the kind of power we need to make America and the world more secure for ourselves and for our children.