THE CONGRESSIONAL COMMISSION ON THE STRATEGIC POSTURE OF THE UNITED STATES

About the Commission

The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, also known as the Strategic Posture Review Commission (SPRC), seeks to “examine and make recommendations with respect to the long-term strategic posture of the United States.” Recognizing that the definition of “strategic posture” is evolving, the Commission is examining the nation’s strategic posture in all of its aspects – military capabilities, arms control initiatives, and nonproliferation strategies.  This includes all uses of nuclear weapons and all tools to counter the nuclear threat to the U.S., including missile defense and countering nuclear proliferation.  Additionally, the Commission is examining national political and economic tools with the intent to develop the relationship between the nation’s military capabilities and both its arms control and nonproliferation strategies.

Congress created the Commission as part of the National Defense Authorization of 2008 and directed that the Commission deliver an interim report to Congress in December 2008. The House Armed Services Committee named six of the Commission’s 12 members; the Senate Armed Services Committee named the other six. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has been selected to facilitate the commission’s work. The Institute for Defense Analyses is assisting the Commission with the classified aspects of its work.  USIP does not handle classified materials. 

To study the many questions of policy and strategy within the Commission’s purview, USIP facilitated the formation of five working groups of experts drawn from across the political spectrum to explore issues of strategic policy and strategy, force structure and deterrence, countering proliferation, the nation’s nuclear infrastructure, and the evolving security environment.