“There is no other way to describe this political situation other than: political party power overrides the security of the American people and this great nation.”
On November 14, 2016, I wrote a piece for OpsLens regarding the critical importance of President Trump’s first NSS (or colloquially, the “President’s Blue Book”) to immediately conclude and promulgate America’s Vital and Major National Security Interests. In that article, I stated that “there is no time to waste with an extended period of the status quo.”
Under the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Department Reorganization Act of 1986, [amending Title 50, Chapter 15, Section 404a of the US Code, paragraph (a)(3)] is the recommendation that “Not later than 150 days after the date on which a new President takes office (in this case, about June 18, 2017), the President shall transmit to Congress a national security strategy report under this section.” As of this date, President Trump’s team is still working this seminal document.
Why is this so important? Because the NSS, if developed properly, forces the Trump Administration to assess, analyze, conceive, deconflict, synchronize, and promulgate the U.S. government’s blueprint (that is, the whole of government and across the elements of national power), for operating effectively and efficiently within the “real world” as it exists today. Some of this strategy will be classified within the United States Government (USG). But much of the NSS will be published in an unclassified President’s Blue Book that informs, inter alia, to those relevant U.S. actors (but, outside the classified system), our allies, our trade partners, and our adversaries (as a broadly written deterrent).
The USG will not be able to effectively or efficiently engage our priority objectives, or our threats, at the day-to-day tactical level without a sound vision and grand strategy — built upon a clear understanding of USG vital and major interests and the objectives and programs required to achieve each interest.
What is the policy and strategy for the USG to determine which threats are most dangerous, in what priority, and at what level of resources? With a USG national debt of about $20 trillion, what levels of USG spending are appropriate for national security versus health insurance, infrastructure restoration, social security, welfare, etc.? At a national security level, what is the right size for each of the armed services? What major weapons systems and how many of each are required to defeat the threats and keep America safe?
Just envision the many competing threats to the USG, which among these are: North Korea’s emerging capability to deliver nuclear warheads around the globe; Iran’s emerging nuclear capability, state-sponsorship of terrorism, and further destabilization of the Middle East; ISIS’ global terrorism threat; Russia’s threat to Eastern Europe (starting with Crimea and Ukraine); major cyber threats from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and others. How does the USG address major trans-regional issues, such as significant refugee migration, illegal drugs, sex slavery, etc.?
How does the USG address the competition for resources among the U.S. economy sector, run-away social/welfare entitlements, and national security interests, while still growing the U.S. economy at four percent per year — which is required to service the USG debt? When our policies and priorities are adrift, so is our budget and ability to achieve efficient spending during an austere budgetary environment.
I fully recognize that President Trump has been obstructed from seating his full contingent of political appointments in the Executive branch. This fact is a danger to America’s national security. There is no other way to describe this political situation other than: political party power overrides the security of the American people and this great nation.
Based upon this dangerous political obstruction, I recommend that President Trump leverage this issue to obtain U.S. Senate confirmation of every National Security-related position appointment, down to the Assistant Secretary-level, within the next 30 days. Because of these dire circumstances, President Trump should be granted until September 30, 2017 to complete a comprehensive NSS. Let’s all get to work and stop risking the national and fiscal security of America and its people.
