Getting in Top National Security Shape

Democrats often face a credibility gap with voters on national security issues. In the post-9/11 era, Gallup has annually asked the question, “Which party is better able to protect the U.S. from international terrorism and military threats?” While the gap has narrowed and widened over time, Democrats have had a decisive lead on this issue just once in the 21st century, during the height of the George W. Bush administration’s failures during the Iraq War.¹ When national security issues increase in salience with the public, Democrats’ historic deficit on this issue can have an impact overall, endangering the ability of the party to make progress on its other priorities. In other words, Americans often see Democrats as soft on national security. But in this heightened national security environment, and with a president who is seen as potentially reckless, Democrats can close this gap so that the public has a choice between two parties that are trusted to keep them safe.

Third Way has conducted extensive research into why Democrats are perceived as soft.² While Democrats are seen as more adept at handling foreign policy than Republicans, on hard security issues, like responding to military threats or terrorism, the public trusts Republicans far more than Democrats. And prowess in diplomacy can also be perceived as a weakness, not a strength, with the public. For example, in Third Way focus groups conducted just before the 2014 election, participants described Democrats as being “too concerned with being fair or polite,” “indecisive,” and suffering from “analysis paralysis.”³ This was not long after Osama bin Laden was killed in a daring raid ordered by Obama. Nonetheless, elected Democrats, when asked about national security issues, often seem unconcerned, seek to shift to domestic issues, and have little to say in response. This can be overcome by establishing a regimen on national security issues in D.C., overseas, and back home.

This memo provides a national security workout schedule to help Members of Congress become national security champions. We show what can be done weekly, monthly, and quarterly to get in top national security shape. There’s a workout routine for D.C., for back home, and occasionally abroad. A well-rounded effort by Members to stay in national security shape throughout their terms (and not just immediately before a race) will only bring benefits. If you follow this plan to get stronger on national security, the American public will begin to see Democrats as champions of U.S. national security.

Becoming a Security Champion: In Washington D.C.

Becoming a security champion begins by effectively addressing national security concerns as an elected leader in Washington D.C. and having a passion for at least one signature national security issue. Regardless of whether one is a member of the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence or Homeland Security Committees, every Democratic senator and representative should identify at least one major national security issue that he or she will constantly return to and should seek regular opportunities to address it. Regular engagement with a particular issue will strengthen Members’ national security muscles and will contribute to their status as national security champions.

Weekly: Speak Publicly on National Security

Whether it’s a quote in a longer interview, a quick floor speech, an op-ed, or simply a tweet, every Member of Congress should publicly address national security at least once a week.

Example

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) tweeted on April 17, 2017, about an op-ed she penned with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) arguing for greater support of Eastern European countries as a deterrent to Russia and a means to boost U.S. trade.

This tweet, coupled with a recent trip to Ukraine and a high level of involvement in Congressional hearings, helped to amplify the Senator’s bipartisan efforts to curb Russian influence in the U.S.

Monthly: Draw a Contrast with Your Opponent

Republicans often attack perceived Democratic weakness on national security issues. Attack ads in the past few election cycles depicted an increasingly chaotic and dangerous world with Democrats doing little to keep Americans safe.

Democrats, on the other hand, rarely draw a contrast with Republicans on national security. All too often, Democrats cede this ground to Republicans, simply avoiding the issue and not responding to their opponents’ attacks. This silence can unwittingly send the message that Democrats don’t recognize the public’s very real fears and anxieties about national security issues. As those anxieties rise, so does the salience of national security in voting behavior.

Existing stereotypes of the two parties mean that Democrats are often perceived as weak while Republicans are perceived as tough and decisive. This means that Democrats are unlikely to succeed in demonstrating they are tougher than Republicans, and in fact, attempting to do so is likely to be a fruitless effort. However, Third Way’s research has found that Republicans do have a weakness on security: recklessness.⁴ In other words, the public is concerned that Republicans might go too far. Beginning with the Bush administration’s fumbling of the Iraq War, this attack has regularly worked against Republicans. And, in the Trump Administration, heightened concerns about recklessness are returning. From calling the President of Taiwan to his adoration for Vladimir Putin, the list of Trump’s impulsive and dangerous national security missteps is long. It is important to draw a contrast between Democrats’ level-headedness and Trump’s erratic behavior, and members should do so publicly through regular op-eds, floor speeches, pieces of legislation, or direct communications to the Trump Administration via public letters.

Source: Vox

Example

Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA), a combat veteran, has been extremely critical of many Trump foreign policy proposals, especially the President’s refugee ban. In a variety of media outlets he blasted the President’s plan, even going so far as to issue a press release saying “I am ashamed that he is our President.”⁵ Because of such strong rebukes, Moulton has garnered the support of prominent conservatives, like Bill Kristol.⁶

Quarterly: Deep-Dive on Signature National Security Issue

Democrats must show they’re championing at least one national security issue. As Third Way has previously argued,⁷ Members of Congress have the opportunity to champion a big national security issue and fight for it over time, in ways that extend beyond a presidential term. Some members have even done this in ways that ultimately changed U.S. foreign policy, like Charlie Wilson did in providing support to Afghans fighting the Soviets or Ron Dellums did with sanctions against South Africa’s Apartheid regime. Regardless of what their issue is, elected leaders must be passionate about it and commit to addressing it consistently and tirelessly. Members of Congress should address their key issue at least once a quarter—whether through briefings, gathering their colleagues on a letter, introducing legislation, advocating hearings, or field visits.

Example

When ISIS rose to power in Iraq and Syria, Senator Tim Kaine became an ardent champion for Congress passing an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to fight the extremist group. While Senator Kaine had spoken out on the issue previously, his support for an AUMF came roaring onto the national scene in the summer of 2014, just as ISIS was gaining widespread attention in the U.S. In a pointed op-ed in The Washington Post, he explained that “Congress has a role in U.S. military action in Iraq.”⁸ Kaine further argued that “The nation should not send U.S. service members into harm’s way unless there is a consensus among the civilian leadership — executive and legislative — that the mission is worth it.” Since then, he has been seen as the leading voice in the Senate for Congress reasserting its role in authorizing military force.

Semi-Annually: Deep-Dive Field Visit

Commitment to the national security issue a Member of Congress is championing must extend off the Hill. Members of Congress should not just take briefings at the Capitol – they must see how things work in the field. This can include visiting the Pentagon, going to CIA headquarters for classified briefings, meeting with foreign ambassadors, or giving a major address at a Washington think tank. These events serve to deepen a Member’s engagement on an issue and show that Members are willing to roll up their sleeves and devote significant time to that issue.

Example

On June 6, 2016, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) delivered a keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Cybercrime Symposium.⁹ While the speaking engagement was noteworthy in and of itself, it demonstrated a public commitment to a legislative priority Whitehouse has been championing for years. From introducing legislation to promote cyber security in 2013,¹⁰ to his “Botnet Prevention Act” in 2016,¹¹ to co-sponsoring a bill to increase police training in cybercrime in April 2017,¹² Whitehouse has been at the forefront of cyber security, and the CSIS keynote was an excellent opportunity to publicly advocate for the issue he champions.

Annually: Trip Abroad

Once a year, Members of Congress should get outside the Beltway to see how policies are being implemented on the ground. Reality in the field can differ significantly from the way it’s portrayed in testimony or in PowerPoint briefings. Being on the ground with U.S. troops in Iraq or Afghanistan can provide insights that are impossible to obtain in Congressional hearing rooms. First-hand discussions with soldiers on the front lines provide representatives with unfiltered information about the success or shortcomings of U.S. foreign policy. In addition, meetings with dissidents, refugees, or aid workers in the field can demonstrate some of the challenges in how policies operate and put a human face on an international crisis. Ideally these trips abroad, whether they be formal Congressional delegations or otherwise, should include time to focus on the national security issue the elected leader is championing.

Example

Unlike many Members of Congress, who went home during the April 2017 congressional recess, Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) went to Cyprus. Why? “You go to Cyprus because that’s where Russians launder money,” according to Quigley.¹³ As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Quigley is looking into Russian influence in the 2016 U.S. election and believes that understanding how the Russians move money is an important part of the investigation. While only in Cyprus for two days, Quigley was able to conduct multiple interviews and review documents that could prove important in investigations of Russian meddling. Quigley said that what he discovered, which he can’t publicly discuss, reinforces his belief in the need for an independent commission to investigate Russia’s involvement in the election. He told The New York Times: “The more I learn, the more complex, layered and textured I see the Russia issue is—and that reinforces the need for professional full-time investigators.”¹⁴

Annually: National Security Legislation

Legislation is the key way that Members of Congress can actually propose concrete changes to U.S. national security policy. Members should make sure that among the bills they introduce each year, they author at least one on national security. Ideally, this would be on an issue the representative has been championing all year, via op-eds, tweets, floor speeches, and the like. The legislation should be a stand-alone bill, but it can also be offered as an amendment to larger pieces of legislation that move through the chamber, including the annual defense authorization and appropriations bills. In offering and debating this legislation, a Member is clearly seen as a champion for the issue, is forced to engage with the substance of the legislation, and enhances their clout in future negotiations about related legislation.

Example

Since joining the Senate in 2007, Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has been a champion of improving the way national security agencies spend money to buy goods and services. Most recently, in April of 2017, Senator McCaskill co-sponsored the “DHS Acquisition Authorities Act of 2017” with Senator Steve Daines (R-MT).¹⁵ This bipartisan legislation would, “codify acquisition best practices, increase transparency and accountability, increase communication and understanding of needs to industry providing these technologies, and require notification to the Inspector General and Congress when certain cost, schedule, and performance objectives are not met,” according to a joint McCaskill and Daines press release.¹⁶ This legislation is just the latest example of McCaskill’s long history¹⁷ of introducing legislation to streamline national security buying practices and save taxpayer money.

The key to becoming a security champion in D.C. is to regularly and consistently engage on national security, with a special focus on the specific issue or issues the elected leader is championing. Whether it’s routinely engaging on Twitter or planning a multi-week trip abroad, elected leaders must convince the American public they’re doing all they can to keep America safe while in D.C. If successful, their next challenge is becoming security champions in their districts.

Becoming a Security Champion: In Your District

The second key to becoming an effective security Democrat is addressing national security concerns at home, in your state or district. National security can often seem abstract, but in fact voters possess very real fears about security threats. Given such concerns, there are numerous opportunities within their districts for elected leaders to bolster their national security credentials and credibility and assuage the fears of their voters. Directly showing constituents that an elected leader is focused on their specific natural security concerns is vital for becoming a security champion.

Daily: National Security Case Work

Whether it’s veterans needing help navigating the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ often cumbersome bureaucracy or helping to resolve an employment dispute when a reservist gets activated, constituents often ask their representatives for help with national security-related issues. It is absolutely vital that elected leaders address all of these requests for assistance. Having dedicated national security case workers, who respond to the everyday needs of constituents, is critical for becoming a security champion.

Example: Service Academy Selection Advisory Committee

High school students interested in attending one of the military service academies must be nominated by either their senator or representative. This process is an excellent opportunity for elected leaders to actively engage the national security community in their district, even in districts with no military bases or other obvious national security connections. To further engage the community on this, some elected leaders create advisory committees to screen applicants. For example, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has a Service Academy Selection Advisory Committee comprised of “volunteers who are former and active members of the military and/or local community leaders.”¹⁸

Monthly: Meet with a National Security Group in your District

At least once a month elected leaders should meet with national security-related groups in their districts. This can, and must, include visiting military bases for those with bases in, or near, their districts. Other options include meeting with:

• Veterans organizations to discuss their needs;
• Veterans’ Affairs treatment facilities;
• Mayors to discuss terrorism preparedness;
• Local businesses and event organizers to discuss steps being taken to prevent and respond to active shooter incidents;
• Newspaper editorial boards to discuss national security positions and impacts on the local community;
• Local first responders and law enforcement to discuss their preparedness to prevent and respond to a terrorist attack.

Example: Meet with Local Law Enforcement Fighting Terrorism

In June 2016, Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) met with FBI officials at the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Indianapolis to discuss FBI counterterrorism efforts in Indiana. In response to the meeting, Donnelly said, “My top priority is the safety and security of Hoosiers. Today’s meeting was an opportunity to discuss potential threats in Indiana, and how the FBI is working with state and local law enforcement to keep our communities safe. It's critical that our law enforcement officials have the tools, resources, and support to be effective.“¹⁹ The visit was covered extensively in the local press and allowed constituents to highlight how they are involved in the effort to keep the nation safe.

Semi-Annually: Convene a National Security Discussion in your District

While it’s important to regularly meet with national security groups in your district, elected leaders must also be seen as having the ability to bring together disparate groups to address national security needs of those in their districts. This can include bringing together mayors, law enforcement, and first responders for a one-day conference about terrorism preparedness in the district. It might also include convening a national security conference at a local university, where outside experts can be brought in to discuss best-practices for preventing homegrown terrorism. Finally, elected leaders can hold an annual meeting of all national security-related businesses in their districts. This would provide businesses with the opportunity to share concerns they have about the Department of Defense acquisitions process or steps they’ve taken to increase the hiring of former service members.

Example

The bicameral, bipartisan Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus, co-chaired by Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), then-Senator Mark Kirk (R-Illinois), Representative Tim Walz (D-Minnesota) and Representative Jeff Denham (R-California), launched the I Hire Veterans initiative to encourage local businesses to hire veterans and display the “I Hire Veterans” logo.²⁰ Security champions should join the caucus and host a meeting with local businesses to explain the benefits of hiring veterans and increase local support for the I Hire Veterans initiative.

Becoming a Security Champion: Constant & Consistent Engagement

To be a security champion, elected leaders must consistently and regularly fight for stronger national security and the national security concerns of their constituents. It is small, incremental policy changes implemented consistently over time that are most likely to yield real change in U.S. national security policy. They will also deepen a Member’s understanding and influence on an issue so that he or she can become what Americans want – a national security champion.