Partnership for a Secure America (PSA) is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. that seeks to promote bipartisan solutions to today's critical national security and foreign policy issues. Created by former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton and former Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH) in 2005, the Partnership for a Secure America works with leading Democrats and Republicans to rebuild the bipartisan center in American national security and foreign policy.
Advisory board
Current members of Partnership for a Secure America's bipartisan advisory board include: Evan Bayh, Governor (D-IN) 1989–1997, US Senator (D-IN) 1999-2011 Bob Corker, US Senator (R-TN) 2007-2018 William Cohen, Secretary of Defense 1997-2001 Tom Daschle, US Congressman (D-SD) 1979–1987, US Senator (D-SD) 1987-2005 Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary of State 2001-2009 Lee Hamilton, US Congressman (D-IN) 1981–1987, 1989–2001, Vice-chair of the 9/11 Commission Gary Hart, US Senator (D-CO) 1975-1987 Carla Hills, US Trade Representative 1989-1993 Charles W. Hooper, U.S. Army General (Ret.), Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency 2017-2020 Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security 2013-2017 Nancy Kassebaum-Baker, US Senator (R-KS) 1978-1997 Thomas Kean, Governor (R-NJ) 1982–1990, Chairman of the 9/11 Commission John Lehman, Secretary of the Navy 1981-1987 Donald McHenry, Ambassador to the United Nations 1979-1981 Michael Mullen, U.S. Navy Admiral (Ret.), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 2007-2011 Sam Nunn, US Senator 1972-1996 Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense 2011-2013 Thomas Pickering, Under Secretary of State 1997-2000 David Petraeus, U.S. Army General (Ret.), Director of the Central Intelligence Agency 2011-2012 Olympia Snowe, US Congressman (R-ME) 1979–1995, US Senator (R-ME) 1995-2013 Frank Wisner, Homeland Security Advisor 2004-2008 William Perry, Secretary of Defense 1994-1997 Frances Townsend, Homeland Security Advisor 2004-2008 Robert Zoellick, U.S. Trade Representative 2001–2005, Deputy Secretary of State 2005–2006, President of the World Bank Group 2007-2012
Programs
Partnership for a Secure America is most well known on Capitol Hill for its bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Partnership Program (CPP), which it has run since 2009. Participants in this program get a special look at foreign policy and national security issues through a number of policy seminars with current and former administration officials. Previous speakers have included members of PSA's bipartisan advisory board, Tara Sonenshine, Ben Rhodes and others. Participants in the Congressional Partnership Program have also visited a number of organizations that influence international affairs.
PSA also works with the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation to equip congressional staff with a foundation of knowledge on negotiation and consensus-building strategies that will help participants develop bipartisan solutions to seemingly intractable issues. The program focuses on countering the win-lose style of negotiations, and instead focuses on win-win negotiation tactics. The PSA-Harvard Negotiation Program has been running since 2014.
Since 2012, Partnership for a Secure America has worked with the US Institute of Peace "to provide opportunities for congressional staff to engage with leading experts and fellow Capitol Hill staffers in bipartisan forums." PSA has put on over 90 briefings with the US Institute of Peace, on topics ranging from Tunisian security issues and Afghanistan elections to revolutions in Egypt and Ukraine.
Publications
PSA's bipartisan policy statements are signed by influential policy leaders and are pivotal in advancing bipartisan consensus and have garnered coverage by leading newspapers around the world. These statements help create bipartisan consensus among Democrats and Republicans on issues ranging from non-proliferation to climate change.
Arms Control and Nonproliferation
In September 2008, PSA issued a report card on the government's progress on preventing catastrophic nuclear, biological, or chemical attacks on the US. The organization gave the government an overall grade of C.