In a rare scenario in Washington, common sense trumped politics this week as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) prevented the controversial Plan B drug from being sold to girls younger than 17 without a prescription. On Wednesday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled a recommendation by the Food and Drug Administration to allow the over-the-counter sale of Plan B, enabling young girls to buy the drug without first consulting a doctor or parent. Agreeing with Secretary Sebelius’s decision, President Obama remarked yesterday: I think it is important for …
In May of this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) became concerned that terrorists may had been planning to exploit the U.S. visa system to enter the country and carryout an attack on the anniversary of 9/11. That terrorists seek to exploit our visa system, of course, is nothing new. In fact, at least six of the 9/11 hijackers had overstayed their visas. What is surprising, however, is that this time DHS took smart and effective action. Rather than pushing for more burdensome and largely ineffective policies (such as …
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce holds a hearing today in response to the National Labor Relations Board’s recent proposal to dramatically alter union election procedures. “Rushing Union Elections: Protecting the Interests of Big Labor at the Expense of Workers’ Free Choice” begins at 10 a.m. Expect the hearing to reveal the potential impact the proposed rule will have on employers and workers. Lachlan Markay will be on hand to report from Capitol Hill. Heritage Senior Policy Analyst Jena Baker-McNeill will also be on the Hill today to testify …
The fiscal year (FY) 2012 homeland security appropriations bill is on the floor today. One would assume that this would be an opportunity for House members to get rid of wasteful programs while maintaining funding for the ones that make us safer. Instead, they are avoiding the hard choices that come with reallocating resources in a smart way, instead offering a simple amendment that would cut appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by 10 percent (except border security funding). This is a mistake for a number of reasons. …
According to a recent AP story, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “answered 11,580 letters, gave 2,058 briefings, and sent 232 witnesses to 166 hearings” in 2009. The time it took for DHS to answer all these congressional inquiries is so great that it can’t be measured in hours, days, or even weeks. Rather, in 2009 alone, DHS officials apparently spent an equivalent of 66 work years responding to these congressional requests. If those numbers didn’t have your head spinning already, the total cost to U.S. taxpayers for all these …
With the recent devastation in Japan, the paragon of earthquake preparedness, Americans are rightfully questioning the readiness of the United States to handle a large-scale national disaster. In spite of the supposed progress the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there is wide spread doubt that FEMA could respond effectively and efficiently to a crisis of Japan-like magnitude. In a recent report, Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Richard L. Skinner echoes The Heritage Foundation in his assessment of FEMA’s ability to handle to …
Today, the color-coded threat system, officially known as the Homeland Security Advisory System, will be nixed by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. She should be applauded for getting rid of a system that has zero credibility and has done little to achieve its goal of informing the public about potential threats. The color-coded system has long been the butt of late night talk show jokes since it was created after 9/11. Who could forget Jay Leno teasing that the Department of Homeland Security had “added a plaid [to the color …
Pat-downs and body scanners seem to be keeping some from getting in the Thanksgiving spirit this week. As if the security lines weren’t bad enough during the busiest time of the year to fly, travelers are now faced with the invasive screening measures. Seniors speculate how to get out of their wheelchairs to walk through scanners, and parents wonder if their toddlers will be selected for additional screening. The bottom line is that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is currently treating every traveler as a threat. Last week Homeland Security …
In a recent CQ article, former Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, weighed in about congressional oversight of homeland security. Congressional oversight of homeland security may sound as exciting as a colonoscopy, but it is actually a very big problem. Currently, over 100 committees and subcommittees have jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security. As you can guess, Members of Congress use this as a political tool—holding hearings completely unrelated to actual security and many times making unreasonable or uneducated requests of the department. All of this undoubtedly distracts DHS …
Well deserved kudos to the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Janet Napolitano. Since the failed December bombing attempt over Detroit demonstrated gaps in airport security DHS has been engaged in an extensive outreach around the world. Convening regional meetings in every corner of the globe, DHS has worked the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop an agreement on an international set of standards for security in the aviation industry. To be sure, Americans can’t outsource its security to other nations. But it is all the more worthwhile and …
