Hill Briefings

Unpacking the National Defense Authorization Act May 12, 2015   On May 6th, National Security Network and the Pentagon Budget Campaign co-hosted a lunch panel discussion, “Unpacking the NDAA” for over 30 Hill staffers. The panel included presentations from Todd Harrison, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Mandy Smithberger, Project on Government Oversight, and Ben Friedman, Cato Institute, and was moderated by Wendy Jordan, Taxpayers for Common Sense. Harrison outlined budget caps levels under the Budget Control Act and discussed areas of efficiency reforms that were included and not included in the NDAA. Friedman discussed budgetary gimmicks in the Overseas Contingency Operations account and key areas where the Pentagon needed to make strategic choices. Smithberger highlighted particular weapons programs full of waste that were cut… Read More ›

Progress Report: Negotiations Toward a Final Deal with Iran National Security Network and National Iranian American Council April 2, 2015 NSN cohosted a House staffer briefing with NIAC entitled “Progress Report: Negotiations Toward a Final Deal with Iran” which featured presentations by Jamal Abdi (NIAC), Kelsey Davenport (ACA), and Liz Rosenberg (CNAS) and was moderated by John Bradshaw (NSN).  Jamal discussed the importance of reaching a final agreement with the P5+1 and Iran, noted how far the U.S. and Iran have come in redeveloping diplomatic channels, and the proper role for Congress in the deal’s implementation. Kelsey explained the key nuclear metrics that would judge a final deal as good and laid out the key sticking points in the negotiations on nuclear outputs. Liz explained the… Read More ›

Statement by Bill French, NSN Policy Analyst Congressional Progressive Caucus Forum on ISIL and the President’s AUMF Proposal March 16, 2015 Distinguished members of Congress, I am honored to join you to discuss the president’s proposed authorization for use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL. Over the next few minutes, I would like to outline how a number of key national security issues relate to considering the president’s proposed resolution and what kind of provisions it should – and should not – ultimately include as a result. In particular, I will focus on select aspects of how the U.S. military strategy against ISIL should inform congressional action on a potential AUMF. As I think all of us know, ISIL poses a very real national security… Read More ›

President Obama’s National Security Budget: Strategic and Sustainable? Hosted by NSN, Council for a Livable World, and the National Taxpayers Union February 5, 2015 National Security Network, the Council for a Livable World, and the National Taxpayers Union co-host two Pentagon budget briefings, one for the House and the other for the Senate. The President’s FY16 Budget Request is expected to bust the Pentagon budget caps set by the Budget Control Act–and that doesn’t even include the Overseas Contingency Operations account. The Air Force and Navy are also jockeying to create off-budget accounts for nuclear weapons modernization costs. Is this spending properly aligned with our national security priorities? Where can strategic cuts be made? Join the National Security Network, the Council for a Livable World, and the National Taxpayers Union for a briefing… Read More ›

Costing Out the Campaign against ISIS Hosted by NSN and the London Center for Policy Research November 6, 2014 Todd Harrison, Amanda Bowen, Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.) and Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer (Ret.) The National Security Network and the London Center for Policy Research co-hosted a briefing on “Costing Out the Campaign against ISIS” for Hill staffers on November 6th. The briefing featured a panel that included Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer (Ret)., Senior Fellow at the London Center for Policy Research and Todd Harrison, Senior Fellow for Defense Budget Studies at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and was moderated by NSN Senior Advisor, Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton (Ret.) Harrison illuminated Hill staffers to the current costs of the military campaign waged against ISIS… Read More ›

Making a Good Deal with Iran Hosted by NSN and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation April 24, 2015 John Bradshaw, Dr. Colin Kahl, Paul Pillar National Security Network and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation hosted a briefing, “Making a Good Deal with Iran,” featuring Dr. Colin Kahl (Center for a New American Security) and Dr. Paul Pillar (Brookings Institute), and moderated by NSN’s Executive Director John Bradshaw. The panel discussed the key outstanding issues on the table in order for the P5+1 and Iran to reach a final agreement, Iran’s strategic considerations and intentions, and potential domestic and international spoilers. The event was well attended by House and Senate staffers. Read More ›

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Unpacking the FY15 Defense Budget National Security Network and the Pentagon Budget Campaign Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2212 Friday, March 14 3:00-4:00 PM This week the Pentagon released its FY 15 budget, totaling $495.6 billion, setting a $79.4 billion placeholder for the Overseas Contingency Operations fund, and providing a $26 billion wish list in an unfunded request. The essentials of the budget help to rebalance U.S. armed forces to meet future threats after a decade of costly stability operations and make progress towards finding efficiency savings. Yet, serious budget concerns remain, especially the use of war funding to skirt the caps imposed by the Budget Control Act (BCA) that have already been increased for this year by the… Read More ›

US ex-envoy says dialogue vital with North Korea February 27, 2014 | Yahoo! News   Washington (AFP) – The US diplomat who led the last substantive denuclearization negotiations with North Korea urged fresh dialogue Wednesday, warning that the long gap in talks only aggravated the risks. Christopher Hill represented the United States in six-nation talks in which Pyongyang agreed in 2005 and 2007 to give up its nuclear weapons in return for aid and security guarantees. Relations have since worsened significantly, with North Korea defiantly carrying out another nuclear test last year. Hill presented an independent report that urged more “robust diplomacy” with North Korea. The study, by the National Security Network and the National Committee on North Korea, called for the United States to… Read More ›

Seeking a New U.S. Approach to North Korea February 27, 2014 Alastair Gale | Wall Street Journal Has the U.S. outsourced its North Korea policy to China? On his recent swing through Northeast Asia, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry emphasized the role that he wants Beijing to play in reining in Pyongyang’s nuclear program. China, he said after meeting its leaders, provided commitments for new action to steer North Korea toward denuclearization. No specifics were given.   For the original piece, click here.   Read More ›

Rep. Eliot L. Engel, the senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement following today’s event on the challenges posed by a nuclear North Korea hosted by the National Committee on North Korea and the National Security Network. ” I would like to acknowledge John Bradshaw of the National Security Network (NSN), and Karin Lee of the National Committee on North Korea (NCNK), for their work on the joint report that seeks to tackle the difficult issues in dealing with North Korea. I also want to thank Ambassador Chris Hill, our former lead negotiator to the Six-Party Talks, who knows first-hand the challenge of negotiating with the North Koreans. To read comments in their entirety, please click here. Read More ›