Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

  • Policy Issues
    • Fact Sheets
    • Countries
    • Nuclear Weapons
    • Non-Proliferation
    • Nuclear Security
    • Biological & Chemical Weapons
    • Defense Spending
    • Missile Defense
    • No First Use
  • Nukes of Hazard
    • Podcast
    • Blog
      • Next Up In Arms Control
    • Videos
  • Join Us
  • Press
  • About
    • Staff
    • Boards & Experts
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Financials and Annual Reports
    • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Search
You are here: Home / Issue Center / Politico OpEd: President Obama has the team to modernize national security

March 21, 2013

Politico OpEd: President Obama has the team to modernize national security

Click here to read the full piece from March 20th Politico

Despite the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill, there is at least one area where Americans of all political stripes agree: The United States needs a smarter, more cost-effective national security strategy. The president has assembled just the right team for the job. The next four years present a unique historical opportunity for President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to craft the modern, 21st-century defense policy and program that Americans want.

Two-thirds of Republicans and 90 percent of Democrats believe defense spending is too high, according to a 2012 study by the Stimson Center, the Center for Public Integrity and the Program for Public Consultation. Study participants favored major defense budget reductions, including on average, a 27 percent cut to spending on nuclear arms. Americans, while polarized on many issues, agree on the need to shift away from bloated budgets, outdated methods of combat and Cold War attitudes.

Now, to an unprecedented degree, leaders on both sides of the aisle share these views. Obama has surrounded himself with some of Washington’s most engaged and creative foreign policy thinkers. Kerry and Hagel were longtime national security heavyweights in the Senate; and, as Vietnam veterans, they bring a distinct perspective, particularly regarding when American soldiers should be sent into harm’s way. Biden is a seasoned foreign policy expert who has been a leader on Afghanistan, arms control and other national security issues.

Read the rest here.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Robert Gard Jr. is the chairman of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and a former executive assistant to two secretaries of defense. Terry Lierman serves on the board of directors of the Council for a Livable World. He previously served as a staffer on the Senate Appropriations Committee and in the House of Representatives.

Posted in: Issue Center, New National Security, Nuclear Weapons, Press & In the News on Nuclear Weapons

Tweets by Nukes of Hazard

Recent Posts

  • Reflecting on the past, present, and future of women in nuclear security March 30, 2023
  • Next Up – It’s Your Turn  March 27, 2023
  • Germany walks fine line on nuclear weapons March 24, 2023
  • Russia-Ukraine War Threatens to Trigger New Nuclear Arms Race March 22, 2023
  • A Major Clue to COVID’s Origins Is Just Out of Reach March 21, 2023
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation

820 1st Street NE, Suite LL-180
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202.546.0795

Issues

  • Fact Sheets
  • Countries
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Non-Proliferation
  • Nuclear Security
  • Defense Spending
  • Biological and Chemical Weapons
  • Missile Defense
  • No First Use

Countries

  • China
  • France
  • India and Pakistan
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • North Korea
  • Russia
  • United Kingdom

Explore

  • Nukes of Hazard blog
  • Nukes of Hazard podcast
  • Nukes of Hazard videos
  • Front and Center
  • Fact Sheets

About

  • About
  • Meet the Staff
  • Boards & Experts
  • Press
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Financials and Annual Reports
  • Contact Us
  • Council for a Livable World
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

© 2023 Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Privacy Policy

Charity Navigator GuideStar Seal of Transparency