Day #2: Bipartisan in a Partisan World

In Washington, it seems everything is a partisan issue these days. From government spending to immigration laws, tax policy to war strategy, policymakers are trapped in a partisan gridlock.

Ploughshares Fund works to break through that gridlock, mobilizing support for issues on which everyone can agree.

From the four elder statesmen who have called for a fundamental rethinking of the role of nuclear weapons in our national defense, to the International Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, who recently called for the elimination of nuclear weapons, there is a growing consensus that nuclear weapons no longer have a place as a tool of global security. Along with our grantees, Ploughshares Fund is working to grow that consensus into policy change.

In the past few years, we’ve brought in several new groups into the conversation around nuclear weapons. Our support for faith-based advocacy groups helped spread support for New START among values voters in traditionally conservative states. We also helped create the Consensus for American Security, a group that brought together retired military professionals to make a public case for the national security rationale behind the New START campaign.

Now, we’re working with groups from the Cato Institute to the Center for American Progress to bring voices of moderation and common sense into nuclear weapons policy. Our grantees are making a case for common sense nuclear weapons budget cuts that will help right-size our bloated nuclear weapons budget to meet the needs of 21st century security. They’re also working to provide unbiased insight and education to decision makers on complicated, and often frightening, nuclear proliferation challenges in Iran, Pakistan and North Korea.

In this highly partisan environment, it’s not easy to find a group that is willing to work with both sides of the aisle. We’re proud to have prominent members of both parties on our board of directors and advisory board. We’re proud of our work to set aside partisan politics and forge a bipartisan consensus. It sets us apart, and it’s a big reason why we can have an impact on policy.
 

Photo by Protocol 411