President Bush today is announcing a formal update to our nation's National Security Strategy. The WaPo writes about it
here.
Buried in that WaPo article is this single sentence about the President's responsibility to update our National Security Strategy:
"Although a 1986 law requires that the strategy be revised annually, this is the first new version since 2002."
Below the fold, a clip from that law...
Here is the law:
TITLE 50 > CHAPTER 15 > SUBCHAPTER I > § 404a
§ 404a. Annual national security strategy report
Release date: 2005-03-17
(a) Transmittal to Congress
(1) The President shall transmit to Congress each year a comprehensive report on the national security strategy of the United States (hereinafter in this section referred to as a "national security strategy report").
(2) The national security strategy report for any year shall be transmitted on the date on which the President submits to Congress the budget for the next fiscal year under section 1105 of title 31.
Here is the final sentence and date on the most recent National Security Strategy document, as of this moment, on whitehouse.gov:
The United States welcomes our responsibility to lead in this great mission.
George W. Bush
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 17, 2002
Would anyone else agree that the President's failure to update our National Security Strategy for the last three and a half years, despite a law clearly stating he must do so every year, and despite his frequent reminders that we are in "a state of war," is very serious business?