Events Detail

Panel Discussion on Presidential Management

of the National Security System In the 21^st Century

Date:                2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CDT, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008

Location:        St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce

                        401 North Robert St., Suite 150

                        St. Paul, Minn.

Speakers:        U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) and Hudson Institute CEO Ken Weinstein

To RSVP:        Contact Jordan Smith at Jordan.smith@pnsr.org

Event Summary

Please join the Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) at the Republican National Convention for a panel discussion on national security reform, featuring U.S. Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) and PNSR Guiding Coalition member and Hudson Institute CEO Ken Weinstein.

The upcoming presidential transition will occur at a time when the United States is fundamentally rethinking its approach to national security. During the Cold War, national security was largely the province of the Department of Defense and was confined to the international arena. Today national security spans the international and domestic spheres and involves a wide array of actors from different parts of the U.S. government, multinational partners, and nongovernmental organizations.

While important reforms have occurred, most notably the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, these reforms do not address the basic national security system established by the National Security Act of 1947.

The panel discussion will seek to prioritize the challenges the next president and his administration will face in managing the national security system in the 21^st century and outline options for dealing with these challenges. The discussion will explore the use of presidential directives under existing authorities, as well as strategies for working with Congress on statutory reform and amendments to House and Senate rules.

PNSR's recently issued Preliminary Findings Report says that the national security system is outdated and needs a massive restructuring to better protect the American people from terrorism, rogue states and other 21st century dangers. A news release on the report and the report itself can be found at http://www.pnsr.org/web/module/press/pressID/106/interior.asp

PNSR is funded by Congress, foundations and corporations to carry out a comprehensive examination of the U.S. national security system. It is expected to produce a series of reforms for consideration by the next administration. PNSR is located within the Center for the Study of the Presidency, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization and co-sponsor of the Iraq Study Group.

The American Security Project is a nonprofit, bipartisan public policy and research organization dedicated to fostering knowledge and understanding of a range of national security issues, promoting debate about the appropriate use of American power, and cultivating strategic responses to 21^st century challenges.