DHS IG Report: DHS’ role in fusion centers

The DHS Office of Inspector General issued a report last week on “DHS’ Role in
State and Local Fusion Centers”, in response to a request from U.S. Representative Bennie G. Thompson. Here’s a summary of the 7 recommendations made in the report.

FEMA’s relationship to DHS drawing attention and debate

One of the big decisions President-elect Obama will face when his administration takes over DHS is whether to leave FEMA as a part of DHS, or remove it from DHS and make it a cabinet-level agency, as it was before DHS was formed. Members of Congress, stakeholders, and prominent organizations are taking sides on the issue, but it’s not clear yet what stancethe Obama administration will take.

Event: House Homeland Security Committee roundtables on privacy, civil rights, & civil liberties at DHS

When:  Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
Where: 311 Cannon House Office Building, Washington D.C.
Time:  9:00 am – 4:00 pm

On Wednesday, December 3rd, the Majority Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security will host a series of roundtable discussions on the future of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties at DHS.  The event, entitled “A Path Forward: [...]

Emergency Managers endorse removing FEMA from DHS

From CQ Politics:
The International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), a prominent association of emergency managers, is recommending that the Obama administration pull the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) out of the Homeland Security Department and restore its leader to cabinet level status.  Larry J. Gispert, president of IAEM said this has been the IAEM’s “informal [...]

Committee leaders await findings on info sharing network

From FCW:
The House Homeland Security Committee’s Democratic leadership remains concerned about the Homeland Security Department’s effort to overhaul its platform for sharing sensitive but unclassified information with state and local authorities, dubbed HSIN Next Gen (HSIN = Homeland Security Information Network).
In July, the chairman, Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and a senior member, Jane Harman (D-CA), asked [...]

House Homeland Security chair faults DHS for unfinished scenarios

From HSToday:
In a letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff on Oct 9., Congressman Bennie Thompson, chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, charged that DHS has failed to draft national planning scenarios for specific threats as ordered in a presidential directive nearly five years ago.
The letter states that Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 ordered DHS [...]

DHS and Congress at odds over cargo scanning mandate

A war of words has broken out between the House Homeland Security Committee and DHS over the mandate to screen 100 percent of U.S.-bound cargo at foreign ports.
Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson sent Secretary Michael Chertoff two letters in recent months chastising DHS for not living up to the mandate.
On Oct. 3, Chertoff responded [...]

Congress questions TSA’s new ‘no screening’ policy for airport screeners

From 9News (Colorado):
Citing concerns, three members of Congress on the Homeland Security Committee have asked the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to explain its new policy that says screeners no longer have to go through metal detectors or have their personal belongings examined in the way that passengers do.
[Note: The Homeland Security Committee in question is [...]