On the President's Desk: Homeland Security
After the September 11 attacks in 2001, President George W. Bush announced the creation of the Office of Homeland Security (OHS) to coordinate "homeland security" efforts. The office was headed by former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, who assumed the title of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. It later became a full-fledged department of government, and the head of the Department became a member of the cabinet. The organization was created because it appeared that up to that time, various government departments and agencies that looked after matters of security with the nation had not been adequately sharing information, and in some cases had become territorial and protective of the matters within its control rather than being willing to share information that might be of benefit to another agency.
The term "homeland security" is generally used to describe the national effort to ensure that the nation or "homeland" is safe from act of terrorism and other hazards. It encompasses not only reaction and response where such an attack has occurred, but more importantly a proactive effort to prevent such attacks and to detect any which are in the works. When the Office of Homeland Security was created, its Mission Statement described its intent as follows:
The mission of the Office will be to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.
The creation of the Office constituted the most significant government reorganization since the Cold War, and the most substantial reorganization of federal agencies since the National Security Act of 1947. It incorporated 22 government agencies into a single organization. Tom Ridge began his duties as OHS director on October 8, 2001. Just over a year later, on November 25, 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was established, pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It was intended to consolidate U.S. executive branch organizations related to "homeland security" into a single Cabinet agency. The following 22 agencies became part of the new department:
1. U.S. Customs Service
2. Immigration and Naturalization Service
3. Federal Protective Service
4. Transportation Security Administration
5. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
6. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7. Federal Emergency Management Agency
8. Strategic National Stockpile National Disaster Medical System
9. Nuclear Incident Response Team
10. Domestic Emergency Support Team
11. Center for Domestic Preparedness
12. CBRN Countermeasures Programs
13. Environmental Measurements Laboratory
14. National Biological Warfare Defense Analysis Center
15. Plum Island Animal Disease Center
16. Federal Computer Incident Response Center
17. National Programs and Preparedness Directorate
18. National Communications System
19. National Programs and Preparedness Directorate
20. National Infrastructure Protection Center
21. U.S. Coast Guard
21. U.S. Secret Service
At the time of the creation of the office, some consideration was given to including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency as part of the Office of Homeland Security, but neither was included. The bill also met with some criticism from labor unions because employees of these agencies could be expeditiously reassigned or dismissed on grounds of security, incompetence or insubordination, and DHS would not be required to notify their union representatives. The plan stripped 180,000 government employees of their union rights, something that government officials argued as necessary in light of the September 11 attacks and the exigencies that follow such an attack. Congress ultimately passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 without union-friendly measures. President Bush signed the bill into law on November 25, 2002. It was the largest U.S. government reorganization since the United States Department of Defense was created. Ridge was named as the first Secretary on January 24, 2003. The Department officially began operations on January 24, 2003, but most of the department's component agencies were not transferred into the new Department until March 1.
Ridge announced his resignation on November 30, 2004, following the re-election of President Bush. Bush initially nominated former New York City Police Department commissioner Bernard Kerik as his successor, but on December 10, Kerik withdrew his nomination, citing personal reasons and saying it "would not be in the best interests" of the country for him to pursue the post. On January 11, 2005, President Bush nominated federal judge Michael Chertoff to succeed Ridge. Chertoff was confirmed on February 15, 2005, by a vote of 98–0 in the U.S. Senate. He was sworn in the same day.
The current Secretary of Homeland Security is Kirstjen Nielsen. On January 16, 2018, Nielsen she testified before the United States Senate in favor of merit based immigration. She has expressed disappointment over the preoccupation in the Senate over collateral matters such as language used by President Trump in White House meetings as opposed to legitimate homeland security matters. Her tenure has not been an easy one. The New York Times reported in May 2018 that Nielsen considered resigning after President Trump berated her in front of the Cabinet for the purported failure to secure U.S. borders. She has clashed with the President over his direction to separate undocumented immigrant parents from their children while in custody. Nielsen has denied that she threatened to resign.
At a congressional hearing on May 15, 2018, Nielson testified that she would enforce the Trump administration policy of separating parents and children who crossed over the U.S.–Mexico border. She noted that this is similar to what happens in criminal courts across the country on a daily basis. On June 18, 2018, speaking at a sheriffs' conference, she said, "We cannot detain children with their parents so we must either release both the parents and the children — this is the historic 'get out of jail free' practice of the previous administration — or the adult and the minor will be separated as the result of prosecuting the adult. Those are the only two options. Surely it is the beginning of the unraveling of democracy when the body who makes the laws, rather than changing them, asks the body who enforces the laws not to enforce the laws. That cannot be the answer."
Border security is just one of the homeland security issues confronting every administration. Aviation security is said to require reforms that are more integrated with counterterrorism operations so that the nation’s security measures and capacity to act against threats are synchronized in the most effective way. The TSA has made some efforts to implement better screening, in order to enhance and prioritize passenger screening and provide low-cost, high-utility aviation security measures. The Obama Administration was criticized for its selective enforcement of immigration laws. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration organizations saw a decreasing in funding, which they claim has hamstrung their enforcement capability.
Cyber security has become a vital national security issue. Governments, businesses, and individuals are under attack from other governments, cyber criminals, and “hacktivists” who steal hundreds of billions of dollars in personal and business data and compromise sensitive government and private sector operations. Ransomware, spyware and malware attacks have potentially devastating consequences. As the organization responsible for defending civilian government networks as well as the nation’s critical infrastructure, the DHS is entering the new frontier of cyberspace. Recruiting, training, and maintaining a qualified, motivated, dependable, and empowered workforce has become of even greater importance in this area.
The Coast Guard provides crucial security in American waters and in recent years, the number of Coast Guard missions has grown steadily due to the varied nature of maritime security threats and the need to protect U.S. interests in hostile environments, such as in the Arctic and in the case of hurricanes. Many of the vessels that support Coast Guard missions are old and prone to breaking down. While the DHS budget has grown in recent years, the Coast Guard’s funding has decreased.
Homeland security grants have been criticized as suffering from a severe lack of accountability and oversight. In the past, homeland security grant dollars have been spent on ridiculous and worthless projects, such as underwater robots in Columbus, Ohio or a zombie apocalypse simulation at a California island resort. Entrenched interests have hindered common-sense reforms.
Countering violent extremism is an important consideration in any counterterrorism strategy. In August 2011, the U.S. government released a strategic plan called “Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States.” The plan focuses on outlining how federal agencies can assist local officials, groups, and private organizations in preventing violent extremism. But the plan has been criticized for its lack of assignment of responsibilities and overall accountability. Criticism has also been leveled over the direction of DHS’s homeland security research. There is concern that these too have been influenced by power lobbies rather than for genuine security needs. In fiscal year 2014, President Obama requested over $700 million for an agro-defense facility in Kansas, even though the Government Accountability Office criticized the selection of such a facility. Wasteful and uncoordinated research programs impair the reputation of the DHS as one that looks out for the interests of those it seeks to protect.
Morale within the DHS is a huge problem and has even been the subject of a House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled, “Building One DHS: Why Is Employee Morale Low?”
Maintaining homeland security is a daunting issue for any president. The magnitude of the problems that fall under the umbrella of homeland security, the gravity of the responsibility and the consequences of failure make this one of the most important and challenging issues confronting any president.
The term "homeland security" is generally used to describe the national effort to ensure that the nation or "homeland" is safe from act of terrorism and other hazards. It encompasses not only reaction and response where such an attack has occurred, but more importantly a proactive effort to prevent such attacks and to detect any which are in the works. When the Office of Homeland Security was created, its Mission Statement described its intent as follows:
The mission of the Office will be to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.
The creation of the Office constituted the most significant government reorganization since the Cold War, and the most substantial reorganization of federal agencies since the National Security Act of 1947. It incorporated 22 government agencies into a single organization. Tom Ridge began his duties as OHS director on October 8, 2001. Just over a year later, on November 25, 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was established, pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It was intended to consolidate U.S. executive branch organizations related to "homeland security" into a single Cabinet agency. The following 22 agencies became part of the new department:
1. U.S. Customs Service
2. Immigration and Naturalization Service
3. Federal Protective Service
4. Transportation Security Administration
5. Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
6. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
7. Federal Emergency Management Agency
8. Strategic National Stockpile National Disaster Medical System
9. Nuclear Incident Response Team
10. Domestic Emergency Support Team
11. Center for Domestic Preparedness
12. CBRN Countermeasures Programs
13. Environmental Measurements Laboratory
14. National Biological Warfare Defense Analysis Center
15. Plum Island Animal Disease Center
16. Federal Computer Incident Response Center
17. National Programs and Preparedness Directorate
18. National Communications System
19. National Programs and Preparedness Directorate
20. National Infrastructure Protection Center
21. U.S. Coast Guard
21. U.S. Secret Service
At the time of the creation of the office, some consideration was given to including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency as part of the Office of Homeland Security, but neither was included. The bill also met with some criticism from labor unions because employees of these agencies could be expeditiously reassigned or dismissed on grounds of security, incompetence or insubordination, and DHS would not be required to notify their union representatives. The plan stripped 180,000 government employees of their union rights, something that government officials argued as necessary in light of the September 11 attacks and the exigencies that follow such an attack. Congress ultimately passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 without union-friendly measures. President Bush signed the bill into law on November 25, 2002. It was the largest U.S. government reorganization since the United States Department of Defense was created. Ridge was named as the first Secretary on January 24, 2003. The Department officially began operations on January 24, 2003, but most of the department's component agencies were not transferred into the new Department until March 1.
Ridge announced his resignation on November 30, 2004, following the re-election of President Bush. Bush initially nominated former New York City Police Department commissioner Bernard Kerik as his successor, but on December 10, Kerik withdrew his nomination, citing personal reasons and saying it "would not be in the best interests" of the country for him to pursue the post. On January 11, 2005, President Bush nominated federal judge Michael Chertoff to succeed Ridge. Chertoff was confirmed on February 15, 2005, by a vote of 98–0 in the U.S. Senate. He was sworn in the same day.
The current Secretary of Homeland Security is Kirstjen Nielsen. On January 16, 2018, Nielsen she testified before the United States Senate in favor of merit based immigration. She has expressed disappointment over the preoccupation in the Senate over collateral matters such as language used by President Trump in White House meetings as opposed to legitimate homeland security matters. Her tenure has not been an easy one. The New York Times reported in May 2018 that Nielsen considered resigning after President Trump berated her in front of the Cabinet for the purported failure to secure U.S. borders. She has clashed with the President over his direction to separate undocumented immigrant parents from their children while in custody. Nielsen has denied that she threatened to resign.
At a congressional hearing on May 15, 2018, Nielson testified that she would enforce the Trump administration policy of separating parents and children who crossed over the U.S.–Mexico border. She noted that this is similar to what happens in criminal courts across the country on a daily basis. On June 18, 2018, speaking at a sheriffs' conference, she said, "We cannot detain children with their parents so we must either release both the parents and the children — this is the historic 'get out of jail free' practice of the previous administration — or the adult and the minor will be separated as the result of prosecuting the adult. Those are the only two options. Surely it is the beginning of the unraveling of democracy when the body who makes the laws, rather than changing them, asks the body who enforces the laws not to enforce the laws. That cannot be the answer."
Border security is just one of the homeland security issues confronting every administration. Aviation security is said to require reforms that are more integrated with counterterrorism operations so that the nation’s security measures and capacity to act against threats are synchronized in the most effective way. The TSA has made some efforts to implement better screening, in order to enhance and prioritize passenger screening and provide low-cost, high-utility aviation security measures. The Obama Administration was criticized for its selective enforcement of immigration laws. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other immigration organizations saw a decreasing in funding, which they claim has hamstrung their enforcement capability.
Cyber security has become a vital national security issue. Governments, businesses, and individuals are under attack from other governments, cyber criminals, and “hacktivists” who steal hundreds of billions of dollars in personal and business data and compromise sensitive government and private sector operations. Ransomware, spyware and malware attacks have potentially devastating consequences. As the organization responsible for defending civilian government networks as well as the nation’s critical infrastructure, the DHS is entering the new frontier of cyberspace. Recruiting, training, and maintaining a qualified, motivated, dependable, and empowered workforce has become of even greater importance in this area.
The Coast Guard provides crucial security in American waters and in recent years, the number of Coast Guard missions has grown steadily due to the varied nature of maritime security threats and the need to protect U.S. interests in hostile environments, such as in the Arctic and in the case of hurricanes. Many of the vessels that support Coast Guard missions are old and prone to breaking down. While the DHS budget has grown in recent years, the Coast Guard’s funding has decreased.
Homeland security grants have been criticized as suffering from a severe lack of accountability and oversight. In the past, homeland security grant dollars have been spent on ridiculous and worthless projects, such as underwater robots in Columbus, Ohio or a zombie apocalypse simulation at a California island resort. Entrenched interests have hindered common-sense reforms.
Countering violent extremism is an important consideration in any counterterrorism strategy. In August 2011, the U.S. government released a strategic plan called “Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States.” The plan focuses on outlining how federal agencies can assist local officials, groups, and private organizations in preventing violent extremism. But the plan has been criticized for its lack of assignment of responsibilities and overall accountability. Criticism has also been leveled over the direction of DHS’s homeland security research. There is concern that these too have been influenced by power lobbies rather than for genuine security needs. In fiscal year 2014, President Obama requested over $700 million for an agro-defense facility in Kansas, even though the Government Accountability Office criticized the selection of such a facility. Wasteful and uncoordinated research programs impair the reputation of the DHS as one that looks out for the interests of those it seeks to protect.
Morale within the DHS is a huge problem and has even been the subject of a House Homeland Security Committee hearing titled, “Building One DHS: Why Is Employee Morale Low?”
Maintaining homeland security is a daunting issue for any president. The magnitude of the problems that fall under the umbrella of homeland security, the gravity of the responsibility and the consequences of failure make this one of the most important and challenging issues confronting any president.