Washington, D.C. — Today, following news that former Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Lawrence Korb passed away, Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
I was deeply and profoundly saddened to learn of the passing of Larry Korb. Larry joined CAP as our second employee in 2003 and spent more than two decades as a senior fellow before retiring in 2024. He was a passionate student of history and public policy who was in the middle of the great debate over America’s role and values in the world for more than 50 years.
Larry was a leading voice on U.S. defense and national security issues, leaving behind a legacy that included military service, government leadership, and public policy analysis. His 2005 report, “Strategic Redeployment,” co-authored with Brian Katulis, was a touchstone in changing the policy conversation around the war in Iraq, shaping then-future President Barack Obama’s policies.
He was intimately familiar with the finer details of the defense budget and long challenged the assumption that higher spending led to greater security. He was a passionate advocate of smart policies that would reduce military spending while preserving readiness.
In all, he published nearly 300 policy pieces at CAP, along with hundreds of op-eds that appeared in newspapers including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He remained a sought-after media commentator on politics and foreign policy well into his 80s, making hundreds of TV appearances on shows including “The Today Show,” “Face the Nation,” “This Week,” and “60 Minutes.”
Larry was generous in sharing with younger staff his decades of experience in the Reagan administration, working at the Council on Foreign Relations, and in numerous policy and academic positions. There are countless foreign policy professionals whose careers he shaped. His legacy of mentorship is still benefiting aspiring foreign policy professionals through CAP’s Dr. Lawrence J. Korb National Security and International Policy Internship, which began after his retirement in 2024.
Hundreds of CAP staff members remember his thick New York accent and gregarious, larger-than-life presence in the office. Many treasured the home-brewed beer he and his wife Lane gave to each staff member every December. Beyond his considerable contributions to foreign policy and defense analysis, Larry loved to bring people together and was a friend to so many here.
We will all be keeping Larry, Lane, and his family in our thoughts.