Former Asst. Secretary of Defense to speak at PT Library

Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, Senior Advisor to the Center for Defense Information and former assistant secretary of defense under Ronald Reagan, will discuss “Defending America on a Balanced Budget: Is it Possible?” at the Peters Township Public Library on Monday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m.

For 13 years straight, the United States has seen uninterrupted growth in the defense budget, projected to exceed $500 billion this year. In light of a projected budget deficit for the 2011 fiscal year of $1.6 trillion dollars, the Obama administration and Congress have been debating ways to cut federal spending. Congress has so far put the defense budget off-limits, but with defense spending comprising 50% of the U.S. discretionary budget and 20% of the overall federal budget, can any meaningful effort to curtail federal spending ignore the Pentagon? As the United States winds down its missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the time is ripe to reexamine whether the current level of defense spending actually enhances our national security capabilities.

This program is offered in partnership by the library with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and with the financial support of the McMurray Veterans of Foreign Wars POST 764. Register for this program online, at the library circulation desk, or call 724.941.9430.

Dr. Lawrence J. Korb is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Center for Defense Information and an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University. Prior to joining the Center, he was a Senior Fellow and Director of National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Previously, Dr. Korb served as Director of the Center for Public Policy Education and Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution; Dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh; Vice President of corporate operations at the Raytheon Company; and Director of Defense Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Dr. Korb served on active duty for four years as Naval Flight Officer, and retired from the Naval Reserve with the rank of captain.

Dr. Korb has authored, co-authored, edited, or contributed to more than 20 books and written more than 100 articles on national security issues. His articles have appeared in such journals as Foreign Affairs, Public Administration Review, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Naval Institute Proceedings, and International Security.