January 3, 2014

Last year was full of disappointing domestic and foreign policy decisions that will have serious implications in the year ahead.

It was also a year of breaking unfortunate records: Congressional approval ratings sank to a record low of 9 percent, 2.3 million refugees fled Syria making it the worst refugee crisis since Rwanda in 1994, and the U.S. is still engaged in Afghanistan, which has become the longest running and most unpopular war.

In 2013, we dealt with a number of national security issues from the bombings at the Boston Marathon to privacy and civil liberties issues in regards to domestic and foreign surveillance. The repercussions from Edward Snowden’s National Security Administration leaks have led to embarrassing revelations including detailed massive data collection programs, both domestically and abroad. Further, there has yet to be real public debate on these invasive surveillance programs.

On the domestic front, our nation has engaged in a vibrant debate on immigration reform. While the Senate has passed their version of what comprehensive immigration reform looks like, the bill has been held up in the House for more than 6 months. The Senate bill, while not perfect, was a step in the right direction, increasing border security, modernizing our immigration process and creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people living in the U.S.

The dysfunction due to the federal government shutdown during the first half of October was not only an embarrassment in front of the international community, it also did not help in achieving progress for immigration reform.

Healthcare reform had its share of moments as well. Our healthcare industry was woefully behind the rest of the developed world and millions of Americans faced healthcare needs without having the resources to pay for it. The fact that millions of Americans are now covered under the Affordable Care Act highlights the significant step that our government is taking to ensure access to quality healthcare is a reality for all Americans.

However, not all was at a loss as there were some positive highlights this year, albeit those coming from the most unlikely of sources. A nuclear deal was reached between the U.S., Iran and the international community. The deal, which was agreed upon for an initial six-month period, includes Iran halting its uranium enrichment program beyond 5 percent, giving greater access and transparency to inspectors and halting any progress at the infamous Arak plant. In return, the international community will not impose any new sanctions on Iran for the agreed time period and Iran will receive $7 billion in sanction relief. The most important development from this deal is that the United States averted another Middle Eastern war that would have further strained our economy and caused more anti-American sentiment.

The nuclear deal with Iran is only the beginning in what the region needs. The best way to reduce tensions in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia is to have all countries declare an end to their nuclear programs.

The Middle East seems to be a place where there is always room for improvement. 2013 was no different. The harsh realities of the humanitarian crisis stemming from the Syrian conflict were apparent when the U.S. considered taking military action against the Bashar Al-Assad regime. We witnessed the use of chemical weapons by a dictatorial regime against its own people to kill the spirit of freedom and self-determination. In this war-torn country, al-Qaeda and other extremists are thriving.

In a post-Arab Spring Egypt we witnessed democratic elections of a president from a political Islamic group, Mohamed Morsi; and in that same year another revolution to oust Morsi after the dissatisfaction with his work by millions.

In addition to ongoing work with Iran and the Middle East and North Africa, there was another restart of the Middle East peace process.

President Barack Obama’s trip to the region earlier in the year became the catalyst for Abbas and Netanyahu to resume dialogue. The case for Palestinian statehood and the end of the occupation however, still remain a lofty goal for the United States.

For the U.S. government to perform effectively, it needs to serves all sectors of American society and re-establish a clear path toward human rights and democracy for all.