Adfero Group HSPI

The House has scheduled a Tuesday vote on a bill (HR 1178) to order an assessment of whether the volunteer Civil Air Patrol can help the Department of Homeland Security with aerial reconnaissance and communications on border security and other operations. It seems only logical that CAP would and should be tasked with providing a similar volunteer airborne reporting service to DHS.

It’s over. Janet has spoken. We now have the answer that we’ve been waiting for since January 15, 2009, the date of her Senate confirmation. FEMA stays put.

Security Debrief contributor Asa Hutchinson generated a number of national headlines recently when he went before the U.S. Senate to testify in favor of ending the disparity between sentencing guidelines for crack and powder cocaine.

Draft legislation is circulating on the Hill to repeal the REAL ID Act. Passed in 2005, with bipartisan support, the REAL ID Act requires states to assure that any identity cards used for a federal purpose (like passing through a Transportation Security Administration security checkpoint before boarding a plane) be issued only to individuals who are lawfully present in the United States.

Over the next two days, Secretary Napolitano will testify before four different congressional committees to discuss the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed budget for 2010. Given the budget implications on worksite enforcement and the Department’s issuance of new worksite guidelines, the appropriations and authorizing committees should have no shortage of questions. However, if any member is looking for questions, here are just a few that I would propose.

An important decision is revealed in the dense budget language of the DHS 2010 budget: the decision to move the Federal Protective Service (FPS) out of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and place it in the National Protection and Program Directorate (NPPD).

With yesterday’s announcement of Dr. Tara O’Toole’s nomination to be DHS’ next Under Secretary for Science & Technology it should not go unnoticed that a significant portion of the Department’s leadership positions are held by women. While I’ve not gone through the other Cabinet Departments to compare how many women are in some of their most senior leadership positions, at DHS the facts speak for themselves.

This document is a DHS Reference Aid created by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) to “provide operational and intelligence advice and assistance to other elements of DHS, as well as state, local, and regional fusions centers.”

On April 30, DHS announced the results of the first 30 days of the ongoing “Efficiency Review”. Notably absent from the list of money-saving measures was any mention of how a unified DHS culture can promote effectiveness, efficiency and of course, cost savings. Instead, many of the items referenced in the press release are relatively simple cost-cutting measures. Despite Secretary Napolitano’s confirmation hearing pledge to “work to create a unified vision for this agency”, there is no sign that the Efficiency Review will be used as a tool to advance this very important concept – and that’s a missed opportunity.

Despite the existence of H1N1, you’re going to be OK – really! As of May 5th there were 403 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection in the United States. One of those, my friend’s niece in New York, said the only difference between H1N1 and the ‘regular’ flu is the name. Mexico is reopening restaurants, the World Health Organization has no plans to elevate its alert level, and Joe Biden has stopped scaring us. It seems safe enough to stop giving people with allergies the stink eye for sneezing on the Metro.

Something happened recently that did not garner much media attention but is worth noting among the Homeland Security set. Each and every Transportation Security Officer TSA recently completed a two-day training course called ENGAGE, which is an experiential, hands-on training effort aimed at calming the checkpoint to improve security.

DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano is tentatively scheduled to testify before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on DHS immigration enforcement policies. Heritage has its own set of questions that should be asked of Napolitano about the Administration’s views on immigration enforcement. We will be adding new questions for Secretary Napolitano daily until the May 6, 2009 hearing—along with Heritage’s suggested response. Check out today’s question.

Last week, I argued that the new Secretary of DHS, Janet Napolitano, would need to avoid common problems that have plagued so many border projects over the past year. Long ago, it was thought that all problems had their source in one of the seven deadly sins, sloth, gluttony, lust, wrath, envy, and pride. This week, we look at gluttony, defined as an insatiable appetite, gulping down without thought or need, and the compelling desire for instant gratification.