Ed. note: see also Nov. 12, 2019 Biden campaign press release on entdorsements from 133 former national security officials
.


The Steady State
thesteadystate.org
March 18, 2020

National Security and Homeland Security Veterans:
Statement Endorsing Vice President Biden for President 2020

The undersigned have served in various capacities in the U.S. National Security and Homeland Security Communities. As Intelligence Officers, defense policy makers, diplomats and Congressional staffers, we have served the country during Democratic and Republican administrations.  Some of us are lifelong Democrats; others, Republicans; some resolutely independent.

We write to endorse Vice President Joe Biden for President of the United States.

Our nation’s foreign affairs are in disarray; our alliances frayed, and our national prestige declining.  Our approach to both friends and enemies abroad has been chaotic and unprincipled. Our credibility as a nation has been lessened.  And, perhaps most importantly, our place in the world as a source of moral leadership has nearly been lost. As a country, we are increasingly less secure and less safe.

To be clear, those of us signing this letter do not agree on everything, or even most things, concerning foreign policy, defense or homeland security.  Our policy views cover most of the spectrum, and many of us have often been in opposition, sometimes bitterly, with each other. But we have always been bound by profound patriotism, and a deep belief in our American democracy.

But the course of events since the 2016 Presidential election has been deeply troubling.  It is not just policy differences. President Trump, and his approach to leadership at home and abroad, has created an existential danger to the United States, its place in the world, and the values we share.  His reelection would continue this downward spiral, and will likely have catastrophic results. Democracy itself is at stake.

We believe that Joe Biden has the best chance, of all the Democratic candidates, to ensure that Donald Trump does not continue as President for four more years, and for that reason alone would endorse him.  But we also believe that, of the candidates, he is best suited to reverse the course of American national security decline. We endorse him because we believe our Country is in grave danger, and Vice President Biden represents the best chance of surviving that danger, reversing course, and rebuilding a strong, safe and democratic America that is a global leader.

We are not, of course, giving up our views and approaches to national security; should Vice President Biden be elected President, many of us will take up the honorable position of “loyal opposition,” and will fight as we have before for the policies we think best.  But now, and today, it is necessary to put aside our differences, and our party affiliations, and voice our support for Vice President Biden.

Signed

Dr. Gordon Adams

Professor Emeritus, School of International Service, American University

Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Clinton



Mr. Javed Ali

Former Senior Director for Counterterrorism

Senior Executive Service, Senior National Intelligence Service

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II



Mr. Brigham Blase Bechtel

Former Intelligence Officer

Commissioned Officer (Non-Flag Rank), General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Rand Beers

Former Deputy Homeland Security Advisor

Senior Executive Service, Foreign Service (FS Scale), Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson



Prof. Philip C. Bobbitt

Professor of Law, Columbia University

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Obama, Clinton, Bush I, Carter, Johnson



Mr. Zachery Tyson Brown

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II



Mr. David Michael Buss

FSO, Retired

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Mr. Bruce Robert Butterworth

Independent Transportation Security Consultant

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford



Dr. Daniel Byman

Georgetown University

General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Clinton, Bush I



Mr. Marc R. Cardwell

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mr. Evan Carlson

Retired

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Ned Foley Carmody

Operations Officer

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Kevin Thomas Carroll

Senior Counselor to the Secretary of Homeland Security

Senior Executive Service, Commissioned Officer (Non-Flag Rank), General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton



Mr. Steven Abram Cash

CIA Intelligence Officer; Chief Counsel to U.S. Senator

General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton



Ms. Deborah P Christie

Assistant Secretary of the Navy, FM&C

Senior Executive Service, Political Appointee

Administrations: Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Hon. James Clapper

4th Director of National Intelligence

Senior Executive Service, Commissioned Officer (Flag Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy



Hon. Richard Danzig

71st Secretary of the Navy

Senior Executive Service, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Clinton, Carter



Mr. Melvin Dubee

Former Deputy Staff Director, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

Senior Executive Service, Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Dr. Anthony Fainberg

Retired, US Government

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Ambassador Gerald Michael Feierstein

Former Ambassador to Yemen

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford



Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman

Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs

Senior Executive Service, Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank), Foreign Service (FS Scale)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Jon Finer

Former Chief of Staff and Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State

Senior Executive Service, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama



Mr. Paul Frandano

Retired CIA Analyst and Program Manager, Co-founder, DCI Red Cell

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mr. Douglas Frantz

Former Assistant Secretary of State

Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama



Dr. Henry H Gaffney

Retired from OSD 28 yrs and CNA 23 yrs

Senior Executive Service, Commissioned Officer (Non-Flag Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy



Dr. Joshua A. Geltzer

Former Senior Director, Counterterrorism & Deputy Legal Advisor, National Security Council

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama



Mr. William Green

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Ambassador Nina Hachigian

Ambassador (ret.), U.S. Mission to ASEAN

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank), Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Clinton



Dr. James Harris

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Prof. Oona Hathaway

Professor of Law, Yale Law School

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Obama



Ms. Margaret Helen Henoch

Senior Intelligence Service/Chief of Station

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Ms. Heather A Higginbottom

Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama



Mr. Paul Hollingsworth

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Ambassador Vicki Huddleston

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Defense for Africa

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Dr. Paul Douglas Humphries

Intelligence officer

Commissioned Officer (Non-Flag Rank), General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mrs. Carol W. Humphries

Commissioned Officer (Non-Flag Rank), General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Andy Johnson

Staff Director, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I



Ambassador Deborah K Jones

Ambassador - Retired

Senior Executive Service, Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank), Foreign Service (FS Scale)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Dr. Colin Kahl

Former National Security Advisor to VP Biden

Senior Executive Service, General Services (GS Scale), Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Bush II



Dr. Richard J Kessler

Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Mr. Timothy D Kilbourn

Former Dean, Sherman Kent School and PDB Briefer to the President

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Daniel Charles Kiryelejza

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Dr. Susan J Koch

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford



Mr. Christopher Kojm

Senior Executive Service, Senior National Intelligence Service, Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton



Mr. Paul Richard Kolbe

Director, The Intelligence Project, Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Former CIA Chief of Station and Component Chief

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Ambassador Lisa Kubiske

Ambassador (ret.)

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. James C. Lawler

National Security Consultant and Author

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mr. Jonathan L. Lee

Former Deputy Chief of Staff, Department of Homeland Security; Former Director for Human Rights, National Security Council Staff

Senior Executive Service, General Services (GS Scale), Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama



Mr. J. William Leonard

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Security & Information Operations)

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Mr. Andrew Liepman

Former deputy director, NCTC

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Dr. George E Little

Former Pentagon Press Secretary and CIA Spokesman

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II



Mr. James Francis Mcilmail

National Security Professional

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mr. Jason McNamara

Former Chief of Staff, Federal Emergency Management Agency

Senior Executive Service, Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton



Ms. Molly Montgomery

Former U.S. Foreign Service Officer

Foreign Service (FS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II



Mr. Rolf Mowatt-Larssen

Former Director of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Department of Energy

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Mr. Scott Nathan

Former Associate Director, OMB

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Obama



Dr. Gary Rohde Nelson

Chairman, Sigma Federal

Senior Executive Service, Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Reagan, Carter



Mr. Tom Newcomb

Former Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and former CIA Chief of Station

Senior Executive Service, General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Ms. Suzanne Nossel

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Obama, Clinton



Mr. James C O'Brien

Special Presidential Envoy

Senior Executive Service, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Clinton, Bush I



Mr. Christopher Painter

Former Coordinator for Cyber Issues, US State Dept., former Senior Director for Cybersecurity Policy, NSC

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I



Mr. Thomas Parker

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge (Retired)

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Ambassador Anne Patterson

Ambassador to Egypt, Pakistan, Colombia, El Salvador

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon



Ambassador June Carter Perry

Ambassador (Ret)

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mr. Larry Pfeiffer

Former Chief of Staff, CIA & Former Senior Director, White House Situation Room

Senior Executive Service, Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Hon. Robert Burns Pirie

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense

Commissioned Officer (Non-Flag Rank), Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Bush II, Clinton, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson



Mr. Stephen Pomper

Former Special Assistant to the President and NSC Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II



Hon. Neil Quinter

Minority Chief Counsel and Staff Director, Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism and Government Information, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

Senior Congressional Staff, Elected Official

Administrations: Obama, Clinton



Mr. Todd M Rosenblum

Former Deputy Under Secretary of Intelligence, DHS

Senior Executive Service, General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. DJ Rosenthal

Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Obama



Mr. Paul Rosenzweig

Senior Fellow, R Street Institute (former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, DHS)

General Services (GS Scale), Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Bush II, Bush I, Reagan



Mr. Scott Michael Rubin

Senior Manager, Adjunct Professor

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I



Mrs. Brigitta Rubin

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I



Mr. D. Craig Russell

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I



Mr. Nick Shapiro

Former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to the CIA Director.

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama



Mr. John R. Sipher

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan



Ms. Mariah Sixkiller

Former National Security Advisor to the House Majority Leader

Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Clinton



Ambassador Dana Shell Smith

Former Ambassador to the State of Qatar

Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank)

Administrations: Trump, Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I



Mr. Gregory Stuart Smith

Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Clinton



Mr. David Eckels Wade

Chief of Staff to US Department of State

Senior Executive Service

Administrations: Obama



Mr. William F. Wechsler

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combatting Terrorism

Senior Executive Service, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Clinton



Mr. Jonathan M. Winer

Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State International Law Enforcement

Senior Executive Service, Senior Congressional Staff, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Clinton



Mr. Douglas H Wise

Retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service officer and former Deputy Director DIA

Senior Intelligence Service

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter



Mr. Edward M Wittenstein

Lecturer in Global Affairs, Yale University

General Services (GS Scale)

Administrations: Bush II



Ambassador Lee Wolosky

Former U.S. Ambassador and NSC Official

Senior Executive Service, Foreign Service Officer (Ambassadorial Rank), Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama, Bush II, Clinton



Mr. Carl Woog

NSC Director for Strategic Communication

Senior Executive Service, Political Appointee

Administrations: Obama



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