Letter to the Honorable Donald J Trump, President of the United States - Call to Release National Security Strategy

Letter

Dear Mr. President,

Pursuant to 50 U.S.C. § 3043, within 150 days of taking office, a new President must provide Congress--and, by extension, the American public--with a report that sets forth "the national security strategy of the United States." That deadline passed on June 19th. We write to urge you to transmit this National Security Strategy without undue delay.

As envisioned by Congress, the National Security Strategy is intended to be a practical document that guides the real-world conduct of our military planners, intelligence officials, homeland security professionals, diplomats, and aid workers. To craft the National Security Strategy, a new presidential administration must identify our national security objectives with precision, prioritize those objectives, and then present a realistic, whole-of-government plan to achieve those objectives with the resources available. A good National Security Strategy will explain both the broad principles that underlie the administration's approach to foreign policy and the specific steps that the administration intends to take to address discrete threats.

In light of the complex web of challenges that the United States confronts, the need for your administration to swiftly prepare and submit a National Security Strategy is acute. We are particularly interested in the administration's strategy to deter and denuclearize North Korea; to defeat ISIL and its affiliates on the field of battle and in the realm of ideas; to stabilize Syria and Iraq; to ensure that Iran complies with its nuclear-related obligations under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and reduces its support for terrorist organizations; to counter Russian aggression pursued through both military and non-military means; to turn the tide in Afghanistan; and to address emerging national security threats, such as cyberwarfare and climate change.

The United States must utilize all elements of its national power in support of security policies that are strategic, strong, and smart, fully leveraging the expertise of all our national security agencies, from the Department of Defense to the Department of State and USAID. We are growing increasingly concerned that you have yet to delineate a strategy to guide foreign policy decision-making and have yet to nominate or achieve confirmation of individuals for key national security positions who are needed to develop and execute that strategy.

We look forward to receiving the congressionally-mandated National Security Strategy as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Seth Moulton * Stephanie Murphy * Jimmy Panetta
Member of Congress * Member of Congress * Member of Congress

The Democratic Caucus National Security Task Force was established in June 2017 by the House Democratic Caucus to support the creation, execution, and public messaging of national security policies that are smart, strategic, and strong.

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