“To me ‘bipartisan foreign policy’ means a mutual effort, under our indispensable two-Party system, to unite our official voice at the water’s edge so that America speaks with maximum authority against those who would divide and conquer us and the free world. It does not involve the remotest surrender of free debate in determining our position. On the contrary, frank cooperation and free debate are indispensable to ultimate unity. In a word, it simply seeks national security ahead of partisan advantage. Every foreign policy must be totally debated (and I think the record proves it has been) and the “loyal opposition” is under special obligation to see that this occurs.”

Arthur H. Vandenberg, Jr.
The Private Papers of Senator Arthur Vandenberg pp. 552 to 53 (1952)

“An essential part of any successful action on the part of the United States is an understanding on the part of the people of America of the character of the problem and the remedies to be applied. Political passion and prejudice should have no part.”

George C. Marshall
Text of the Marshall Plan Speech June 4, 1947

“It is understanding that gives us an ability to have peace. When we understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then we can sit down and work out our differences.”

Harry S. Truman

“This country cannot afford to tear itself apart on a partisan basis on issues so vital to our national security.”

Henry Kissinger
April 16, 1984

“Our greatest foreign policy problem is our divisions at home. Our greatest foreign policy need is national cohesion and a return to the awareness that in foreign policy we are all engaged in a common national endeavor.”

Henry Kissinger

“For more than a half a century, we know that we prospered because of a bipartisan consensus on defense and foreign policy. We must do more than return to that sensible, cooperative approach.”

Hillary Clinton
Speech to the Council on Foreign Relations December 15, 2003 New York, NY

“Bipartisanship on behalf of an imprudent policy can be folly, just as partisanship on behalf of a just cause can be wise. What is clear is that politics will not stop at the water’s edge simply because presidents plead for it. American foreign policy will return to the tradition of Truman and Vandenberg only when the American public demands it.”

James M. Lindsay
The New Partisanship: The Changed Politics of American Foreign Policy

“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer."

John F. Kennedy

“The American spirit wears no political label. In service to others and yes, in sacrifice for our country, there are no Republicans; there are no Democrats; there are only Americans."

John Kerry

“Foreign policy always has more force and punch when the nation speaks with one voice. To remain secure, prosperous, and free, the United States must continue to lead. That leadership requires a president and Congress working together to fashion a foreign policy with broad, bipartisan support. A foreign policy of unity is essential if the United States is to promote its values and interests effectively and help to build a safer, freer, and more prosperous world.”

Lee H. Hamilton
How to Forge Ahead Washington Quarterly, Spring 2001

“…our predecessors understood that the ties that bind America are far stronger than disagreements over any particular policy and far more durable and profound than any party affiliation.”

Madeleine Albright
American Leadership for the 21st Century: Doing What's Right and Smart for America's Future Jesse Helms Lecture, Wingate University March 25, 1997

“History has shown that a country most effectively speaks with one voice. When nationally elected officials work together, build consensus, and provide leadership, the American people will follow.”

Senator Chuck Hagel
History’s Lessons Washington Quarterly, Spring 2001

“If America is to succeed in responding to these 21st Century challenges, our political system cannot continue to bog down in the mire of partisan gamesmanship.”

Senator Chuck Hagel
“21st Century American Challenges” National Press Club, Washington, DC April 28, 2005

“America’s leaders have to find a way to work together, rise to the challenge, and come up with solutions as bold and visionary as the people of this nation.”

Senator Joseph Biden

“We have the responsibility to ensure that our first impulse in foreign affairs is one of bipartisanship.”

Senator Richard Lugar

“First, we must continually reaffirm the principle that the security of the United States is not, and should never be, a partisan matter. The United States can best defend its national security interests abroad by uniting behind a bipartisan security policy at home."

William S. Cohen
Principles for a National Security Consensus Washington Quarterly, Spring 2001

“…foreign policy of a pluralistic democracy like the United States should be based on bipartisanship because bipartisanship is the means and the framework for formulating policies based on moderation and on the recognition of the complexity of the human condition. That has been the tradition since the days of Truman and Vandenberg all the way until recent times.”

Zbigniew Brzezinski
Address to the New American Strategies Conference October 28, 2003