The “readout” from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano’s November 30 visit to Mexico City constitutes a soothing tidbit of information—bureaucratic Muzak: In the face of ever-evolving, multinational threats, the U.S. is committed to working with our international partners to enhance information-sharing and our mutual security. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Mexican government as we forge an unprecedented international security framework that facilitates legitimate trade and travel while protecting our citizens. Not once does the Secretary mention the raging war against the drug cartels.
The Daily Caller recently reported on and posted an embargoed Department of Homeland Security Inspector General audit of a FEMA fire prevention grant to the ACORN. In fiscal year 2007, ACORN created the ACORN Institute to specifically apply for a $1 million FEMA grant to help urban communities prevent fires. According to the Inspector General audit, FEMA’s grant application review panel recommended against awarding ACORN grant funding because of concerns over ACORN’s lack of fire prevention experience and doubts about the proposed project’s effectiveness. Despite the panel’s rejection based on …
Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad has apparently told investigators that he was not acting on behalf of any international terrorist organization. However, given that he spent several months in Pakistan just prior to returning to the U.S. to conduct the attack indicates he may well have been in contact with international terrorist networks. Given the increasing fluidity of group membership and cross-pollination of the various terrorist groups operating inside Pakistan, it may take time for investigators to discern exactly with whom he may have been working and what was …
Last week Greece was admitted as the 36th member nation of the Visa Waiver Program, (VWP). While this is certainly a welcome move for a program that hasn’t added a new member since 2008, it also highlights a real lack of willpower and effort by the White House to keep adding new member countries. In fact, DHS can barely add any new members right now because of the biometric exit mandate Congress linked to its waiver authority. The biometric mandate—which hasn’t gotten much of anywhere is a real stumbling block …
Chris Strohm reports in Congress Daily that the democratic leadership in the House Homeland Security has finalized their legislative agenda for the year. And the news is not good. After banging the drum for years (like in our recent report with CSIS – Homeland Security 3.0) that oversight of the department needs to be consolidated in the committee, just as the 9/11 Commission recommended, the committee leadership seems intent in every way to undermine the case by incoherent, spotty, and misguided activities. For starters, according Strohm the draft, “left out …
Today is the first day of implementation for the Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program. ESTA allows travelers visiting the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to enter the U.S. without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. VWP countries include most of Western Europe, New Zealand, Japan and Australia. This summer, Heritage analyst Jena McNeill wrote on ETSA: Pre-screening for security risks improves authorities’ ability to prevent high-security risk individuals from entering the U.S. Rather than risking a bureaucratic snafu …
Dr. James Jay Carafano explains three simple ways Congress can improve Homeland Security. This is an issue that effects everyone and every member of Congress should be interested in it. It also effects every level of Government – Local, State, and Federal. Currently, there are 85 Committees overseeing the Department of Homeland Security which makes it extremely difficult to get things accomplished. Congress also has no way of overseeing how the federal agencies work together. The way that it is set up now is disjointed and needs to be reformed …
