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William Cohen

From Alfawiki
William Cohen
Born (1940-08-28) August 28, 1940 (age 86)
Bangor, Maine, U.S.
Occupation(s)Attorney, writer, politician
Years active1968–2001
Known forUnited States Secretary of Defense (1997–2001), U.S. Senator from Maine (1979–1997), U.S. Representative from Maine (1973–1979)

William Sebastian Cohen (born August 28, 1940) is an American attorney, writer, and political figure originating from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, Cohen held office in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1979 and in the United States Senate from 1979 until 1997. He later served as the Secretary of Defense from 1997 to 2001 during the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton.

Often characterized as "a moderate Republican from Maine" and regarded as "a centrist maverick," Cohen developed a collaborative rapport with President Clinton, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Nevertheless, he frequently opposed Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, whom he criticized for being "a grandstander, excessively vocal on policy issues, and overly inclined to resort to military action."

Early life and education

Born in Bangor, Maine, Cohen’s mother, Clara (née Hartley), descended from Protestant Irish roots, while his father, Reuben Cohen, was the child of a Russian Jewish immigrant family that owned the Bangor Rye Bread Company.

Although raised in the Jewish faith according to his father's preference—attending synagogue and Hebrew school—Cohen opted not to complete his bar mitzvah and later embraced Christian practices.

After finishing at Bangor High School in 1958, he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Latin from Bowdoin College in 1962. During his time there, he was a member of the Kappa chapter of the Psi Upsilon fraternity and distinguished himself as a basketball player, earning all-state honors in Maine at both high school and collegiate levels, eventually being inducted into the New England All-Star Hall of Fame. He obtained his law degree cum laude from Boston University School of Law in 1965.

Legal, academic, and early political career

Between 1968 and 1970, Cohen worked as assistant county attorney for Penobscot County. Concurrently, he held teaching positions at both Husson College and the University of Maine from 1968 through 1972. He served as vice president of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association between 1970 and 1972 and was a member of the Bangor School Board during 1971–1972. In 1972, Cohen was appointed a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and was recognized by the U.S. Jaycees as one of "ten outstanding young men" in 1975. His local political involvement included membership on the Bangor City Council from 1969 to 1972 and serving as Mayor from 1971 to 1972.

House of Representatives and Senate

In the 1972 elections, Cohen secured a seat representing Maine's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, succeeding Democrat William Hathaway. During the House Judiciary Committee’s impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon in 1974, he distinguished himself as one of the early Republicans endorsing impeachment. Time magazine listed him among "America's 200 Future Leaders."

Cohen defeated incumbent Hathaway in the 1978 U.S. Senate race and was subsequently reelected twice—in 1984 and again in 1990—serving until his departure in 1997. Recognized as a moderate Republican with progressive social perspectives, he built a reputation as a "maverick" adept at achieving bipartisan agreements.

His 1994 report titled Computer Chaos: Billions Wasted Buying Federal Computer Systems exposed significant inefficiencies within federal IT procurement processes. Opting not to run for reelection in 1996, Cohen was succeeded by his former aide, Susan Collins.

Throughout his Senate career, Cohen was active on several committees: Armed Services and Governmental Affairs Committees (1979–1997), Senate Intelligence Committee (1983–1991 and again from 1995–1997), where he served as Vice Chairman between 1987 and 1991. He played an instrumental role in shaping major defense policies such as the Competition in Contracting Act (1984), Montgomery G.I. Bill Act (1984), Goldwater–Nichols Act (1986), Intelligence Oversight Reform Act (1991), Federal Acquisition Reform Act (1996), Nunn–Cohen Act Amendment establishing the United States Special Operations Command, and the Clinger–Cohen Act (1996).

Cohen advocated for recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday and voted to override President Reagan’s veto on the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987. He also supported confirmation votes for Supreme Court nominees Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.

Secretary of Defense

On December 5, 1996, President Bill Clinton appointed Cohen as the Secretary of Defense, describing him as the ideal candidate to continue the progress made by outgoing Secretary William Perry and to foster bipartisan backing for the U.S. military. In his role as Secretary of Defense, Cohen was instrumental in overseeing American military operations in Iraq and Kosovo, which included the removal of Wesley Clark from his position as NATO Supreme Allied Commander. The military campaigns, Operation Desert Fox in Iraq and Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, were responses to the 1998 bombings targeting U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya.

Confirmation

During his confirmation hearings, Cohen acknowledged possible divergences with President Clinton regarding national security policy but criticized the administration’s ambiguous plan for withdrawing troops from Bosnia, urging a pullout by mid-1998. He committed to opposing further defense budget reductions, maintaining a strategy focused on managing two regional conflicts simultaneously, and advocating for increased investment in advanced weaponry even if it meant cutting personnel numbers. Cohen expressed skepticism about whether cost savings from base realignments and procurement reforms would sufficiently finance the new weapons systems prioritized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He supported NATO’s enlargement and identified the spread of weapons of mass destruction as the foremost threat facing the United States.

The Senate unanimously confirmed Cohen, who was sworn in as the 20th Secretary of Defense on January 24, 1997. He adopted an intensive daily routine beginning shortly before 7 a.m. with intelligence briefings, followed by consultations with the Deputy Secretary of Defense (held by John Hamre from 1997 to 2000 and later by Rudy de Leon from 2000 to 2001) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Hugh Shelton. His schedule included policy and budget discussions, meetings with international officials, and regular "ABC" sessions at the White House alongside Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, and President Clinton. Early in his tenure, Cohen also undertook several international visits.

Defense budget

Among Cohen’s first significant responsibilities was presenting the fiscal year 1998 defense budget, which had been developed during Secretary Perry’s term. The request totaled $250.7 billion—approximately three percent of the country’s GDP for FY 1998—with a focus on personnel (including military pay raises, barracks upgrades, and family support initiatives), readiness (covering training, maintenance, and supplies), and modernization efforts aimed at preserving U.S. military superiority through enhanced weapons systems. Procurement spending was planned to increase to $60 billion by FY 2001.

Cohen played an active role in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which upheld the post-Cold War assumption that U.S. forces must be prepared for two simultaneous regional conflicts but reduced planned acquisitions of fighter jets such as the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor and Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, along with certain Navy surface vessels. The review recommended cutting 61,700 active duty personnel across all services, reducing reserves primarily within the Army National Guard by 54,000 members, and eliminating 80,000 civilian positions. Additionally, Cohen proposed two further rounds of base closures in 1999 and 2001 aimed at saving $15 billion annually; these savings would fund new equipment purchases without raising the overall defense budget beyond $250 billion.

International relations and situations

Cohen advocated for NATO's enlargement and oversaw its shifting dynamics with Russia. At the Helsinki summit in March 1997, Russian President Boris Yeltsin conceded that expanding NATO membership was unavoidable. Following this, an agreement created a permanent council comprising representatives from both Russia and NATO to tackle security issues. This development led to NATO extending invitations in July 1997 to countries such as Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

Discussions at Helsinki prominently featured the U.S. missile defense system, where Presidents Clinton and Yeltsin distinguished between national missile defense—restricted by the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty—and theater missile defense systems. Advancements were achieved in arms control, including agreements to ratify the Second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II) and to pursue additional reductions under START III.

Up until mid-1998, Cohen voiced apprehension regarding ongoing U.S. peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia and potential future deployments, alongside humanitarian interventions such as in Rwanda. Persistent security concerns involved strained relations with Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and the enduring Arab–Israeli conflict.

Budgetary planning faced the challenge of reconciling operational and maintenance expenditures with modernization procurement within a Department of Defense budget that had remained nearly constant at approximately $250 billion annually for ten years. Cohen also tackled issues related to vertical integration within the defense industry—where large mergers formed dominant aerospace corporations—raising worries about diminished competition and elevated long-term acquisition costs for the Department of Defense.

Social issues

In December 1999, Cohen initiated a review of the Clinton administration’s contentious "don't ask, don't tell" policy concerning the treatment and status of gays and lesbians serving in the U.S. military, prompted by the president’s public critique of its effectiveness. During his tenure as Secretary of Defense, Cohen also addressed social challenges including women's roles in combat, racial discrimination, and sexual harassment.

Recent years

Following his departure from the Pentagon in 2001, Cohen established The Cohen Group, a consulting firm specializing in business strategy, alongside three former Pentagon officials: Bob Tyrer, Jim Bodner, and H.K. Park. In March 2002, he was honored with the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Woodrow Wilson Center.

On January 5, 2006, Cohen participated in a White House meeting alongside former Secretaries of Defense and State to discuss U.S. foreign policy with Bush administration officials.

Cohen has authored multiple works spanning genres such as mystery novels, poetry, and a co-authored analysis of the Iran–Contra affair with George Mitchell. He holds the title of Chairman Emeritus at the US–Taiwan Business Council. The Washington Post noted his rapid transition into Washington lobbying through The Cohen Group shortly after leaving government service.

His novel Dragon Fire (published August 2006) features a secretary of defense confronting a nuclear crisis. In December 2006, he co-wrote a memoir with his wife titled Love in Black and White, which delves into themes of race, religion, and their shared life experiences. He appeared on The Daily Show (August 22, 2006) and Fox & Friends First (August 25, 2006), where he advocated for universal national service as a means to support efforts against terrorism.

In May 2016, BBC News appointed Cohen as a world affairs analyst; he regularly appears on BBC World News America among other programs.

Cohen co-led a Genocide Prevention Task Force with Madeleine Albright; however, their appointment faced criticism from Armenian advocacy organizations.

He serves on advisory panels for the Partnership for a Secure America and is part of Issue One's ReFormers Caucus. Additionally, Cohen holds board memberships with both the U.S.-China Business Council—where he served as vice-chairman from 2011 to 2013—and the U.S.-India Business Council.

During the 2016 presidential election cycle, Cohen diverged from Republican ranks to endorse Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. He supported Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race while endorsing Republican Senator Susan Collins for reelection.

In January 2021, Cohen joined all living former defense secretaries in authoring an op-ed for The Washington Post, urging President Trump not to involve military forces in electoral disputes.

In July 2022, Cohen played a role in founding an organization comprised of U.S. business leaders and policymakers dedicated to fostering constructive engagement with China aimed at enhancing bilateral relations.

Personal life

In 1987, Cohen initiated divorce proceedings from his first spouse, Diana Dunn, with whom he shares two sons, Kevin and Christopher. On February 14, 1996, he wed Janet Langhart, a former model, television personality from Boston, and correspondent for BET, who earned the nickname "First Lady of the Pentagon" during Cohen's period as secretary.

Cohen served as best man at the second wedding of then-Senate Naval Liaison John McCain, who later became his colleague in the Senate. As reported by The New York Times, Cohen was often perceived as somewhat solitary within Congress. He identifies as a Unitarian Universalist and in 2007 briefly contemplated reconnecting with Judaism by resuming synagogue attendance.

Attack at Holocaust Museum

On June 10, 2009, Cohen was present at the U.S. Holocaust Museum waiting for his wife Janet Langhart, who was set to debut her one-act play Anne and Emmett, which envisions a dialogue between Anne Frank and Emmett Till. At that moment, an elderly assailant armed with a slide-action rifle launched an attack on the museum, killing security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns before being subdued by other guards. Both Cohen and Langhart escaped unharmed and later appeared on CNN to discuss the event and denounce the racially motivated nature of the assault.

The perpetrator, James W. von Brunn, aged 88, was a longstanding "hard-core" white supremacist whose online postings targeted Jewish and African American communities. He faced federal charges including first-degree murder and was indicted on seven counts encompassing hate crimes. Langhart’s play had been featured in The Washington Post just a week prior and was performed to commemorate Anne Frank's eightieth birthday.

Honors

Recent publications

See also

External links

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