Legislative Activity Lawmakers Unveil Report, Legislation to Strengthen U.S. Aviation Security On Monday, February 6, the majority staff of the House Homeland Security Committee released a report titled “America’s Airports: The Threat From Within.” The report recommends nine ways to assist airports, airlines, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to address insider threats facing the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Call for Sequestration Repeal Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, has enlisted other lawmakers in urging House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to repeal Pentagon spending limits mandated by the 2011 Budget Control Act. Twenty-four Republicans have signed on to the letter, which seeks a floor … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Armed Services Committee Unveils Subcommittee Leaders, Budget White Paper On Wednesday, January 18, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced subcommittee chairmen and ranking members for the 115th Congress, including for a newly-created panel on cybersecurity: Subcommittee on AirLand: Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chair/ Angus King (I-ME), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Cybersecurity: Mike Rounds … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Pledge Regular Reauthorization of Homeland Security Agency On Wednesday, January 11, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) released a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by chairmen of eight House committees with jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The MOU serves as an agreement between the eight lawmakers to work together to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Panels Prepare for Trump Cabinet Confirmation Hearings This week, Senate lawmakers will begin a number of hearings to consider President-Elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees. On Wednesday, January 11, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Gen. John Kelly to be Secretary of the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Pass Counterterrorism Measures in Wake of Orlando Shooting On Thursday, June 16, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 5471, the Counter Terrorist Radicalization Act, which combines three previously-passed bills to counter terrorist recruitment and extremism, by a vote of 402 to 15. House leaders repackaged the measures – H.R. 4401, the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Approve Reallocated Funds for TSA House appropriators followed on their Senate colleagues and approved reallocated funds for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to address growing screening lines over the summer. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, indicated that agency heads have already cautioned that they may … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Look Ahead: FY 2017 Appropriations Lawmakers are currently debating their priorities for FY 2017, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and related agencies. President Obama’s FY 2017 budget request includes a proposed $908.8 million increase in the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) fees by raising airline passenger fees by $1 per … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senior Senate Democrat Criticizes Cuts to State/Local Homeland Security Program Shortly after President Obama unveiled his FY 2017 budget request, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) highlighted significant cuts proposed to the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). UASI funds provide state and local authorities with financial assistance for the prevention, mitigation, response to, and recovery from … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers React to Paris Attacks The world reacted with sorrow and outrage following a series of attacks across Paris on Friday, November 13. While the French continued to mourn the scores lost, the Hollande government stepped up airstrikes in Syria against ISIL, which claimed responsibility for the attacks. Lawmakers quickly began to into … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Information Sharing Legislation Moves to Conference Last week, the Senate passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA/S. 754) by a 74-21 vote. Before voting on final passage of the bill, the Senate approved an amendment that would sunset the bill ten years after its enactment. All other amendments that were voted on during … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Will Vote on CISA Final Passage on Tuesday Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has scheduled a final vote on the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA/S. 754) for Tuesday. After months of waiting for the bill to be considered on the Senate floor, the Senate finally began debate of CISA last week … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Panel to Consider Port Security This week, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation will hold a hearing on “The Prevention of and Response to the Arrival of a Dirty Bomb at a U.S. Port.” In a memo accompanying the hearing announcement, the Subcommittee staff explained that … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Homeland Security Committee Will Mark up Cyber-Related Legislation On Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee will mark up the Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Strategy Act of 2015 (H.R. 3510), which would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop an internal cybersecurity strategy. The bill is in response to DHS’s … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Administration Announces It Will Accept At Least 10,000 Additional Syrian Refugees During FY 2016 This week, the Administration announced it would accept up to 10,000 additional refugees fleeing conflict in Syria during the next fiscal year. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State Foreign Operations, has said … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Appropriations Panel Approves Homeland Security Spending Bill, Scrutinizes “Sanctuary City” Policies This week, the House Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2016 spending bill funding homeland security programs. The measure provides $39.3 billion in discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), $337 million below the amount enacted for FY 2015 … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Appropriations Panel Approves Homeland Security Spending Bill This week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its FY 2016 Homeland Security spending bill. The measure, adopted 26-4, provides $40.213 billion in funds for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), $765 million above the FY 2015 enacted levels but $1.2 billion less than requested … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Homeland Security IG Testifies Before Congressional Committee On Tuesday, June 9, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General John Roth testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee regarding oversight of the Transportation Secretary Administration (TSA). Mr. Roth’s testimony comes just as TSA continues to address the results of covert … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Action on Information Sharing Legislation Unclear Prior to the Memorial Day recess, the Senate was unable to complete its work on its surveillance reform legislation to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act and plans to readdress the issue when the chamber returns this week. Given the debate over the PATRIOT Act and the privacy … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Immigration Provision Removed from House Defense Bill On Friday, the House passed H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2016, by a vote of 269 in favor and 151 against. During floor debate, the chamber narrowly approved an amendment proposed by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) stripping language from H.R. 1735 that would … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Two Information Sharing Bills Last week, during what the House dubbed as “Cyber Week,” the chamber passed two major pieces of cybersecurity legislation that seek to update and authorize voluntary information sharing platforms that allow the federal government and the private sector to share information about cyber threat indicators they are … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Gyrocopter Lands on Capitol Lawn, Sparks Security Concerns On Wednesday afternoon, Doug Hughes, a Florida postal worker, flew a small gyrocopter through protected Washington airspace and landed on the west lawn of the Capitol. Hughes reportedly planned to deliver letters on campaign finance reform addressed to each of the 535 Members of Congress. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Homeland Security Committee to Mark-Up Cyber Information Sharing Bill On Tuesday, the House Homeland Security Committee will mark up the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act, which will officially be introduced on Monday. The Committee has worked collaboratively with the private sector and stakeholders to develop the legislation for the last few weeks. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Appropriations Season About to Begin Congress returns from a two-week recess this week, with work on twelve appropriations bills set to begin very soon. Last week, House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers (R-KY) announced vice chairmen for each of the panel’s subcommittees. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), chair of the Defense Subcommittee, will also serve … Continue Reading