POMED Notes: “A Unified Security Budget for the United States”

On Wednesday, the Center for American Progress hosted a panel discussion with keynote speaker Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Panelists included Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Miriam Pemberton, Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, and the event was moderated by Richard Verma, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

For full event notes, continue reading. Or click here for the pdf.

On Wednesday, the Center for American Progress hosted a panel discussion with keynote speaker Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Panelists included Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and Miriam Pemberton, Research Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, and the event was moderated by Richard Verma, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

The event began with opening remarks from Richard Verma on the relationship between defense and diplomacy spending. He stated that spending on U.S. foreign policy is still dominated by military spending. However, defense spending should take into account diplomacy, development, and homeland defense. While steps have been taken in the right direction to better integrate these areas into defense spending, the current deficit crisis in America is an obstacle.

Thomas R. Nides (for full transcript click here) focused his comments on efforts to incorporate diplomacy, development, and homeland defense into the national security and military budget. With the State Department and USAID coupled with defense spending in upcoming budget debates, rational allocation is now more important than ever. In 2007, the State Department and USAID saw budget increases, which allowed these organizations to expand their presence abroad and work in coordination with the military, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He noted the State Department and USAID took a 13.6% budget cut in fiscal year 2011, with more cuts likely in FY12. Yet, for the first time, State and USAID funding is coupled with defense spending in this year’s budget debate. This is especially important in Iraq, where the upcoming transition to civilian power could allow the State Department and USAID to receive more funding. More funding would allow State and USAID to expand their operations, especially in the Middle East. He noted that with these positives, there are negatives associated with this coupling – such as defense funding being shielded from requisite category budget cuts. He argued the success of the State Department and USAID warrant more funding, which would allow them to expand. Nides concluded that the State Department and USAID programs would lead to a safer and more stable world.

During the panel discussion, Miriam Pemberton asked that now diplomacy is coupled with defense, which is leading to more integrated operations, what can be done to prevent one side from dominating the other. Thomas Nides said better cooperation starts at the top, referencing Secretary Hillary Clinton establishing a strong relationship with Secretary Robert Gates along with other top officials. They went on to work hand-in-hand on one of the largest military-to-civilian transitions in U.S. history in Iraq. Nides noted the relationship between diplomatic and military officials has never been better than today because of the personalities in power and the recognized need for coexistence and cooperation.

An audience member asked how well the State Department and USAID are working with the military in transition missions and if the current budget situation will have any effect on cooperation. In response, Nides stated that the two entities are working well together on transition missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nides emphasized the need for cooperation and how their budget situation reflects how diplomacy, development, and defense coexist