NEWPORT, R.I. – The second practitioner panel for the National Security Affairs (NSA) department’s Theater Security Decision Making course was held in U.S. Naval War College’s (NWC) Spruance auditorium in Newport, Rhode Island, recently.
The session, entitled “Congress and National Security,” brought three former congressional committee staffers to the school to share their experiences with NWC’s intermediate class.
The panelists were Stephanie Sanok Kostro, who served on the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee; Larry Hanauer, who served on the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Patrick Garvey, who served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is now the Deputy Assistant Director at the Congressional Research Service.
NSA chair David Cooper remarked that the panel allowed NWC students to “peek behind the curtain” to gain better insight into how the legislative branch executes its constitutional obligations to provide for the common defense, and to gain a better appreciation for the largely unsung role of the Capitol Hill staff in facilitating the national security mission of the United States.
The panelists explained to students the role of professional staff, particularly in their capacities as subject matter experts for the members of their respective congressional committees.
The former staffers also discussed the oversight roles of the congressional committees, explored the differences between how business is conducted in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and assessed how the different committees approach theater security issues.
Cooper explained that congressional committee processes change because each has a different emphasis.
“By virtue of the fact that each has a specialized focus, they do things differently,” he said. “For instance, armed services, intelligence, or foreign relations all have different functions and different processes. Our students benefit from learning about each one. And that is one of the learning outcomes that this session provides.”
Students were also exposed to discussions on how congressional committees intersect with military officers and other national security professionals, such as how congressional and staff delegations are set up and conducted, how hearings are convened and testimony prepared, and how budgetary priorities are set.
A lively discussion generated by student questions included such topics as whether Congress still produces members who can focus on particular national security issues and gain extensive expertise over a long period of service, said Cooper.
The first practitioner session was held in August and was an informal discussion between retired Adm. James Stavridis and host Tom Fedyszyn, NSA professor at NWC.
The intermediate class is designed for mid-career students who earn a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies upon completion.