When Will Congress Wake Up on Homeland Security?

Jena McNeill / September 10, 2010

It’s been 9 years since the 9/11 attacks. America is still being attacked—the Times Square and Christmas Day plots are the most recent examples.  Congress, however, continues to act like it is still September 10, 2001.  For instance:

• It continues to ignore key 9/11 Commission recommendations—the Commission emphasized that Congress needed to reform its oversight process for homeland security.  Instead of doing so, the problem just got worse.  Now 108 committees, subcommittees and commissions have oversight over the Department of Homeland Security—creating a big headache for homeland security and a major impediment to security policy.
• Internal politics have prevented it from enacting a much-needed DHS authorization bill that would lay out Department structure and set priorities for homeland security.  The lack of an authorization bill decreases morale and DHS success—acting as a roadblock to creating a homeland security enterprise capable of responding adequately to security threats. (more…)