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Congress and Politics

TSA Denies Private Screeners – What’s Wrong with Some Healthy Competition?

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February 4, 2011

The Transportation Security Administration now holds a monopoly on airport security screening. If you want to fly, you must pass through TSA. Thing is, not many people were aware there was an alternative. There was, but no longer. A program that replaced government security screeners at airports with private screeners has been stopped. Decisions like these had better be made on the basis of safety and security, but something stinks of non-security related influence.

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"Painful Conclusion": Senators Say FBI & DOD Could Have Prevented Ft. Hood Shooting

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February 3, 2011

“Painful Conclusion”: Senators Say FBI & DOD Could Have Prevented Ft. Hood Shooting – The Note
A new Senate report on the 2009 Fort Hood shooting blames the FBI and Department of Defense for failing to recognize or act on alleged shooter Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s extremist views.

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Predator UAV Costs – An Analysis of Alternatives that Needs Further Analysis

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February 2, 2011

Homeland Security Today’s Mickey McCarter has written the most thorough piece on SBInet that I have seen in the past several years. While there is a significant amount of new information in this article, the last few paragraphs of McCarter’s story on the cost of UAVs is something that ought to raise eyebrows. I have yet to understand how DHS can cost-justify the use of Predator UAVs for border security and enforcement purposes.

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The State of the Homeland Security Industry – Resigned Frustration

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February 2, 2011

In what was billed as the first State of Homeland Security address, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano talked about the maturing of the Department that she leads and the “shared responsibility” that is homeland security. As important as her words might be, they unfortunately do not speak to the state of the homeland security industry – “resigned frustration” best describes the relationship between Congress, DHS and the private sector. Despite these conditions, there remain enormous opportunities for companies and individuals, and it is important to understand how a race to protect U.S. citizens, infrastructure and interests has devolved into a frustrating enterprise.

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Under New Cybersecurity Legislation, President Kept from Pulling the Plug

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February 2, 2011

When protests in Egypt began spiraling out of control, fueled and coordinated in part by social media use, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak shut down Internet communications. In light of that, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued a statement about its pending cybersecurity legislation and how rather than expanding the Executive Office’s power to deny Internet access to U.S. citizens, it restricts it to all but the most dire circumstances. Here are some key points.

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Report: Efforts to Secure Nation's Power Grid Ineffective

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February 2, 2011

Report: Efforts to Secure Nation’s Power Grid Ineffective – Wired Threat Level
The official government cybersecurity standards for the electric power grid fall far short of even the most basic security standards observed by noncritical industries, according to a new audit.

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End to the Color Code Alert System – Where's the Transparency?

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February 1, 2011

Andrew Malcolm’s blog in today’s LA Times on the recent DHS decision to change the old color-coded threat alert system grabbed my eye. Malcolm is right to ask for an explanation of why something that was the subject of a 60-day review took well over a year to resolve. If this administration wants to reclaim the mantle of transparency, someone at DHS should pay attention.

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Fixes for E-Verify Require Congressional Help

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February 1, 2011

The recent GAO report, “Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Improve E-Verify but Significant Challenges Remain,” paints a fairly optimistic picture of what the executive branch has done to improve E-Verify. Although the federal agencies responsible for E-Verify should be asked many tough questions, many of the issues identified in the report could actually be resolved by Congressional action, such as by comprehensively implementing Real ID.

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White House Supports Airwaves for Public Safety

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January 31, 2011

White House Supports Airwaves for Public Safety – Wall Street Journal
The White House endorsed a plan Thursday to give a chunk of airwaves worth an estimated $3 billion to public-safety groups for a new national wireless public-safety network that could cost as much as $15 billion to build, if Congress approves.

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The Stupid Politician Trade: How to Profit from the Madness

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January 31, 2011

By Doug Doan
Like many of you, I am often gobsmacked by the silly decisions coming out of our federal government. For every politician or senior government official with the courage and insight to focus national attention on the most pressing problems, there are many more, determined to push idiotic policies that erode American economic power and national security. Then I had a moment of epiphany. Instead of grousing about a politician, I needed to find a way to benefit from the consistent stupidity. Why not profit from boneheaded policies with a few selective trades?

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