In 2022, the United States played a prominent role in global affairs, in matters such as: energy, supply chain, inflation crises, COVID-19, climate change, and war in Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ukraine, and elsewhere. Tensions have continued with state actors such as China and Russia.
In pursuit of its mission of providing free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to ALL Americans, Vote Smart compiles research on a variety of political topics, particularly in the key votes and public statements sections of our database. As 2022 comes to a close, we'd like to bring you one year of facts about foreign policy.
The information in this post is a compilation of a year’s work at Vote Smart. There are links to elected officials, federal and state bills, and public statements. Such work would not be possible without the efforts of Vote Smart staff, interns, advisors, donors, and other interested parties.
KEY OFFICIALS
President: Joe Biden (D)
Vice President: Kamala Harris (D)
Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Chairman, Senate Committee on Armed Services: Jack Reed (D-RI)
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs: Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services: Adam Smith (D-WA)
KEY EVENTS
February 17, 2022: Russian police arrest American basketball player Brittney Griner.
February 24, 2022: Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine. President Joe Biden issues a statement. Thousands of Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the United States in the months since.
March 2, 2022: U.S. House of Representatives passes House Resolution 956 (“Supporting the people of Ukraine”), sponsored by Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY).
March 12, 2022: Governor Larry Hogan (R-MD) signs Senate Bill 1005 (“Requires Retirement and Pension System to Divest from Russia”).
April 1, 2022: Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) signs House File 4165 (“Requires Divestment from Russia and Belarus”).
April 8, 2022: President Joe Biden signs HR 7108 (“Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act”), sponsored by Richard Neal (D-MA).
May 9, 2022: President Joe Biden signs S 3522 (“Ukraine Democracy Lend-Lease Act of 2022”), sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).
June 2, 2022: Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signs House Bill 5003 (“Establishes Budget, Establishes State Guard, Divests from Russian Federation”).
June 26, 2022: Group of Seven (G7) meets in Germany. President Joe Biden issues a statement announcing the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. “These strategic investments are areas … critical to sustainable development and to our shared global stability: health and health security, digital connectivity, gender equality and equity, climate and energy security,” he said.
June 30, 2022: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meets in Spain. President Joe Biden issues a statement.
July 8, 2022: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan assassinated. President Joe Biden issues a statement.
July 14, 2022: U.S. House of Representatives passes HR 7900 (“National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023”), sponsored by Representative Adam Smith (D-WA). The U.S. Department of Defense is a major employer at home and abroad.
July 16, 2022: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meets in Saudi Arabia. President Joe Biden issues a statement, saying “On energy security, we agree on the need to ensure adequate supplies to meet global needs. Energy producers have already increased production, and I look forward to seeing what's coming [in the] coming months.” American consumers have been affected by high gas prices.
July 31, 2022: U.S. drone strike kills al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. President Joe Biden issues a statement.
August 2, 2022: U.S. House of Representatives delegation visits Taiwan. Speaker Nancy Pelosi issues a statement. Taiwan is a major exporter of semiconductors, which are used in goods from mobile phones to refrigerators.
September 8, 2022: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom dies. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden issue a statement.
September 21, 2022: United Nations General Assembly meets in New York. President Joe Biden issues a statement.
November 12, 2022: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meets in Cambodia. President Joe Biden issues a statement. A new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Initiative signals the increasing importance of electric vehicles in the U.S. and abroad.
November 30, 2022: U.S. and France meet in Washington, D.C. to discuss space cooperation. Vice President Kamala Harris issues a statement. The U.S. space industry is expected to grow in coming years, creating thousands of jobs.
December 1, 2022: U.S. House of Representatives passes HR 4785 (“Uyghur Policy Act of 2021”), sponsored by Representative Young Kim (R-CA).
December 21, 2022: President Joe Biden meets with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, and they issue a joint statement. During his trip to Washington, President Zelenskyy addresses Congress.
This research was compiled by Bibi Miller. Since joining Vote Smart in 2021, she has monitored legislative activity in all fifty states. Prior to her start at the organization, Bibi worked in politics as a writer, consultant, and fundraiser. She is a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she majored in political science.