Bill Monahan

Guest Author

Bill Monahan is Foreign Policy For America’s Senior Director for Policy. He joins FP4A from the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), where he served as Counsel and Policy Director responsible for foreign policy and national security issues. His portfolio included a focus on great power competition across combatant commands, and he was the lead adviser on matters relating to U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Southern Command. In addition, he oversaw Department of Defense security assistance authorities for building the capabilities of foreign security forces globally. He also advised on legal issues relating to detention, including Guantanamo, the laws of armed conflict, and the authorization of the use of military force. Bill returned to the SASC staff in January 2017, after serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs from January 2016-January 2017. Bill initially served on the SASC staff from December 2003-January 2016. Prior to joining the SASC staff, Bill was a Legal Adviser on arms control and nonproliferation issues at the U.S. Department of State and, prior to that, at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA). Bill started his career working with public interest advocacy groups on arms control and defense issues. He received his B.A. from Yale University and a joint degree combining a Masters in Public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and a law degree from Virginia Law School.