An update on national security, foreign policy, & politics from Council for a Livable World and the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
WHAT’S NEWS:
Laicie Heeley is keeping up her “regular” status on MSNBC’s “The Ed Show” segment. Last week, she was featured to discuss the Israeli elections as well as tensions within the U.S. over Iran. Watch her interview on our site.
Thursday’s “vote-a-rama” in the Senate saw no shortage of offers for amendments on national security and foreign policy. The Council, among other organizations, provided this short list of which amendments were yea-worthy and which were nay-worthy. Read it here.
At 3:30 AM Friday morning, the Senate finally ended the vote-a-rama by coming to a resolution that will hike defense spending while slashing domestic spending and safety-net programs. Just hours after the senators went home, Senior Fellow John Isaacs had posted a review of some of the most important amendments relevant to national security and foreign policy. Click here for John’s review of the drama that ensued on the Senate floor Friday morning. [3/27]
Meet us in Boston for Politics on the Edge
On the evening of April 11, we’re headed back up to Boston for a night of expert analysis, substantive discussion, and fun at our upcoming event, Politics on the Edge: From Boston to Tehran. Come meet Council-endorsed former Senate candidate Shenna Bellows, Council Board Member and Iran nuclear program expert Dr. Jim Walsh, Council Board President and Acting Chair Gary Collins, and Executive Director Angela Canterbury. Tickets are on sale now!
Can’t make it? Click here to support this and other Council for a Livable World activities!
Board Chair Receives Great Honor
This week, Chair of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Board Lt. General Robert Gard was awarded the Global Citizen award from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, where he served a decade as President Emeritus. Only two others, Robert McNamara and Ted Turner, have been awarded this great honor. Congratulations, General Gard!
READ:
Picking Sides in the Budget Battle
This year’s budget bartering resulted in some partisan infighting within the Republican-led Congress between the debt-fearing fiscal conservatives and those seeking hikes in defense spending. In an article published in Defense One, Angela Canterbury and Center Board Chair Lt. General Robert Gard urge Congress to listen to the fiscal hawks and not the defense hawks. [3/19]
In a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, Policy Director Laicie Heeley sets the record straight on a misguided op-ed by former Senator Joseph Lieberman on the Iran deal. Read Laicie’s letter to learn more. [3/25]
Breaking Defense published an article this week by the Center Board Member and Senior Science Fellow Philip Coyle on the need for a new approach to missile defense. In a time where new threats outpace our missile defense systems, Coyle asks our top military leaders to be honest with us (and themselves) about the practicality and affordability of these programs. Read the article from Phil here. [3/25]
In a Nukes of Hazard Blog post, Scoville Fellow Greg Terryn outlines how, in times of budgetary constraint, there’s a precedent of military cutbacks on extraneous programs. In the current fiscal climate, he argues similar reductions might be on the horizon. Read more on the Nukes of Hazard Blog. [3/20]
Saving $43 Billion at the Pentagon
The Council and Center organized a letter to Congress on how to safely give the Pentagon a $43 billion haircut. It was sent ahead of the budget debate and was signed by groups from across the ideological spectrum. Where will the money come from? Read our letter to the budget committees and the follow up to all members of Congress. [3/17]
This week, 25 organizations signed onto a letter supporting the Smarter Approach to Nuclear Expenditures (SANE) Act to rein in spending. “Pouring more than $1 trillion taxpayer dollars over the next three decades into last century’s weapons is a nonsensical national security strategy,” said Angela Canterbury in a press release by the bill’s sponsors Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Earl Blumenauer. Read the full press release to learn more. [3/23]
