[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 121 (Thursday, July 26, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H8732-H8733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          ESTABLISHING A QUADRENNIAL NATIONAL SECURITY REVIEW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation 
this evening requiring the establishment of a Quadrennial National 
Security Review. I am joined in this effort by my friend and colleague 
on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) who has been an advocate for enhanced 
interagency cooperation and improved strategic planning on national 
security issues. His input and support on this bill have been 
invaluable.
  This measure has the support of Armed Services Committee Chairman 
Skelton, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Lantos, and Homeland 
Security Committee Chairman Thompson, as well as numerous other Members 
with strong national security credentials.
  Currently, the United States establishes its national security goals 
in the National Security Strategy, required by law to be submitted 
annually to Congress. However, only two versions have been published in 
the last 6 years and those documents provide little insight into how we 
can harness all assets of national power to achieve our national 
security goals.
  Many experts in the field of national security, including members of 
the 9/11 Commission, have emphasized the importance of using all of our 
Nation's capabilities and levers of influence to advance our national 
security goals.
  Dr. Joe Nye, the former dean of the Kennedy School of Government and 
former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security 
Affairs, has written extensively about the need to supplement our 
military might with ``soft power,'' efforts to win the world's hearts 
and minds with our values and culture.
  Successfully exercising this type of power requires that we pursue 
many fronts, including international diplomacy, democracy building, 
cultural exchanges, economic development, educational initiatives, and 
communication about our values and ideals.
  Even though our Nation has many assets and capabilities to advance 
our national security goals, we have done a poor job of integrating 
them all. From my experience on the House Intelligence Committee, as 
well as the Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees, I am 
deeply concerned about the tendency of agencies with national security 
responsibilities to focus exclusively on their own programs' 
initiatives, while losing sight of the larger strategic goals, an 
unfortunate phenomenon that leads to stovepiping when information and 
intelligence are not shared among Departments and agencies.
  Madam Speaker, we must ensure that all components of our Federal 
Government are working together toward the same purpose and that they 
are able to coordinate their efforts to the greatest extent possible.
  In its ``Beyond Goldwater-Nichols'' study, the Center for Strategic 
and International Studies recommended the establishment of a 
Quadrennial National Security Review to create an interagency process 
that would identify national security goals, assess existing needs and 
capabilities, establish priorities for funding, and recommend specific 
policy and budget proposals.
  From that recommendation, I have worked with other experts, Members 
of Congress, and committee staff to draft the legislation that we are 
introducing today. This bill would create a Quadrennial National 
Security Review, a process to coordinate all assets of national power 
and identify and achieve our national security objectives.
  Under the measure, every 4 years the President would conduct a review 
of the national security goals of the United States in consultation 
with all relevant national security related Departments and agencies, 
as well as Congress. The process would include a thorough investigation 
of America's national security interests and objectives, the strategy 
for implementing security goals, risk assessments, identification of 
all assets of national power needed to meet security goals, an 
explanation of how agencies would coordinate their efforts, and an 
assessment of what additional resources are needed. The effort would 
culminate in a comprehensive national security strategy document, 
policy recommendations, and a unified security budget proposal that 
reflects national security priorities.

[[Page H8733]]

  Finally, after publication of the QNSR, an outside panel of the 
national security experts would conduct independent review and perform 
their own analysis, reporting their findings to Congress and the 
administration within 2 years.
  I am hopeful that the establishment of a QNSR and an independent 
review process will lead to greater coordination and cooperation and 
facilitate strategic budget and resource decision-making.
  In closing, I would like to thank the many Members, staff and 
national security experts who have provided feedback and guidance in 
the crafting of this bill. It is not an easy task to move our entire 
national security decision-making structure forward from the status 
quo, but I know many people in this body recognize the importance of 
doing so, and I am optimistic that we are moving in the right 
direction. I urge my colleagues to join me in this vital effort.

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