Center for a New American Security

Author(s): Eric Pierce, Gates and the Next Congress
Type: Op-Ed
Date: 12/08/2008

December 8, 2008 - The decision of President-elect Barack Obama to retain the services of Robert Gates as U.S. secretary of defense should be welcome news for the military and others concerned about the first wartime transition from one political party to the other since 1969.

Most importantly, this is good news for Capitol Hill, where Secretary Gates is viewed as an honest broker and a high point of the final two years of the Bush administration.

Gates' approach to Congress stands in marked contrast with his immediate predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, who reportedly called lawmakers and their staffs "hillbillies." Democrats and Republicans alike wondered if Secretary Rumsfeld thought the legislative branch even mattered.

As Sen. Joe Biden once said, "I don't think he and Cheney believe Congress is a particularly important institution, and act accordingly. I mean that sincerely."

Gates has recognized the importance, and the need, for bipartisanship. More often than not he has found allies in Congress who believe he respects their institution even when there are significant policy differences. Gates understands that success or failure for an administration's agenda largely depends on good relations with the legislative branch.

In the 111th Congress, Gates will encounter a more Democratic Congress, empowered by a new Democratic president. Obama ran on a message of change and a desire to unite the country. Keeping Gates is a very important example of the right kind of change we need today.

Gates knows how critical it is for Congress to be integrated into key decisions; however, his work in this respect has just begun. He needs to send a clear signal that he embraces change and respects the voice of the people. There are at least five ways he can do this with respect to the legislative branch:

■ Push for expedited deputy confirmations. Although Gates doesn't have his own confirmation process to worry about, he will have a new deputy secretary of defense, and several other senior officials will not remain in their posts after Jan. 20. Gates should request that Chairman Carl Levin schedule Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearings as quickly as possible after nominees are announced.

Gates, who refers to himself as a Republican, can put duty above party during wartime by demonstrating his desire to move his new team into place quickly, including any new Democrats nominated to serve under him. This will further endear him to the majority in Congress and send an important message to those who did not vote for Obama.

■ Establish a bipartisan congressional advisory board. One way to build support for administration objectives on Capitol Hill is to have a core group of members who can provide advice and unvarnished truth. Gates should select a bipartisan group of congressional defense intellectuals to provide feedback on key issues.

This group could travel with the secretary to Iraq or other hot spots, perhaps even be deployed as special envoys to troubled regions. At the very least, a congressional advisory board could provide a platform to engage on the major defense issues of the day and demonstrate the secretary's willingness to listen to Congress. It would also be useful to have members from the authorizing and appropriations committees during pre-budget planning.

■ Negotiate the timing of the FY10 budget submission. Congress requires that the FY10 budget be submitted in February, but the transition period between election day, the inauguration and the confirmation of top deputies leaves little time to write a new budget. Obama should present a budget blueprint in February, but it will be necessary for Gates to request additional time from Congress to ensure the budget reflects the president's priorities. An amended budget, presented later in 2009, that reflects the new administration's national security goals will be a down payment on the change Obama campaigned for during the election.

■ Seek congressional input in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The QDR is the comprehensive review of defense strategy conducted by the Department of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff every four years. Congress is frequently left out of this process. While the House and Senate lack the resources to conduct independent reviews, that does not mean they can't provide input to help shape the broader questions about military strategy.

During the most recent QDR, members and staff were asked to comment only days before it was made public. Gates should task an assistant secretary to act as the liaison on the QDR, and seek the feedback of key members of Congress at the start of this review.

■ Restore military fellows to pre-9/11 strength. As a small but important first step to increase vital communication links with the Pentagon, Gates should officially authorize the number of military fellows be restored to their pre-9/11 strength on Capitol Hill. The Department of Defense annually details junior officers from each of the military services to the offices of select members of Congress, usually for one year. Many of these servicemen and women then bring their congressional experience to their legislative affairs office at the Pentagon.

During this decade, military personnel serving on the Hill have been significantly reduced, in part to control the message from the Pentagon. Increasing military personnel on the Hill will expand formal and informal communication and be a welcome sign of the promised new era.

Gates is already staying at the Pentagon longer than most expected, and there's no reason to believe he won't stay as long as he desires. However, advocates for change should not be alarmed. By getting off on the right foot with the new Congress, Gates can demonstrate that all of the American people's voices are being heard in 2009 and beyond. ■

Eric Pierce is a fellow at the Center for a New American Security and former defense and foreign policy adviser to Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. While CNAS co-founders Kurt Campbell and Michèle Flournoy are part of President-elect Barack Obama's defense transition team, they have neither endorsed not approved this commentary.

Related:
Topic(s): Iraq, National Security Leaders Event Series, Regional Security Challenges, U.S. Foreign Policy, U.S. Military Forces & Operations, U.S. National Security Strategy
Project(s): Future of the U.S. Military, Governance in a Time of Political Transition, The Iraq Inheritance, Civilian Capacity
People: Eric Pierce