Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Full Committee Hearing

Transcription

1 Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Full Committee Hearing The Future of Homeland Security: The Evolution of the Homeland Security Department's Roles and Missions 7/12/ AM Witnesses: The Honorable Jane Harman Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (Former Congresswoman representing the 36 th district of California) Admiral Thad W. Allen, USCG, Retired Former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard The Honorable Richard L. Skinner Chief Executive Officer, Richard Skinner Consulting (Former Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security Committee Members in Attendance: Joseph Lieberman - CT, Chairman Susan M. Collins - ME, Ranking Member Thomas R. Carper DE Ron Johnson WI Daniel K. Akaka HI Main Themes There has been a lot of progress since the creating of DHS, but there are still problems as a result of its fast creation and the integration of so many different functions There are big management problems There are problems with financial management and acquisition oversight There needs to be more integration within DHS Information sharing needs to be better and intel systems need to be integrated There is a lack of leadership and morale problems Airport security advances have been very effective Sen. Lieberman s Opening Statement: When the Department of Homeland Security was created, we wanted a department that was more than the sum of its parts. A department that would never fail to connect the dots. We have prevented al-qaeda from carrying out a successful attack since 9/11 And we have made progress in: o Information sharing o The screening process one must go through to get into the U.S. o Air screening

2 o The nation s preparedness and response (FEMA has improved significantly since Hurricane Katrina) Yet there is still a need for improvement: o DHS s operational components are still not fully integrated o Workforce morale problems o Acquisition problems o Vulnerable to cyber-attacks Even with budget cuts, we need to develop new systems, not just maintain the old. Sen. Collins Opening Statement: DHS brought together 22 different agencies to focus on protecting our country and its citizens DHS must be nimble and imaginative Information sharing has improved, but it is still a work in progress (including between DHS and the private sector - 85% of our critical infrastructure is privately owned Fusion centers can be very useful but they have not achieved their full value TSA is trying to improve its intelligence. When a known bomber is able to enter the country, work remains. Cyber threats have grown exponentially Harman Testimony: Merging government functions is difficult and the threat against us is constantly changing We don t need to rearrange the deck chairs, but we do need to assess what works and what doesn t Functions that are executed well: o Customs and Border Protection at airports stopped more than 3,100 people last year for national security reasons o TSA Secure Flight program o The If you see something, say something campaign local residents are so important which is why fusion centers are important o Vulnerability assessments by the Office of Infrastructure Protection Challenges the department faces: o The Intel function was never fully deployed o Intelligence reports need to be actually useful to local law enforcement o DHS needs to access where it can be most effective for example, it will probably never be a leader in preventing o Congress has been a disappointing player DHS is still required to report to too many committees Congress has not established a single, principal point of oversight How the Department can improve: o Embrace the Privacy & Civil Liberties Oversight Board and urge the board to take on tough issues

3 o o Do more to reduce the overclassification of information so that more can be accessed on a local level Secretary Napolitano needs to step up to inspire people and inform the public about how to be prepared and resilient Allen Testimony: The Department of Homeland Security was developed in little over three months, during a very chaotic time there was little time for thoughtful consideration and there are still problems today because of this Some functions such as human resources and financial management need to be centralized and consolidated Need more long-term planning the five-year Future Years Homeland Security Plan (FYHSP) needs to be implemented effectively There needs to be better information sharing and coordination create a unity of effort There should be standardized budget presentations We need to take a look at the threat of cyber attacks Skinner Testimony: The creation of DHS combined operational functions from 22 different countries, but it did not have the management to support its functions 10 years later it is still not where it should be Some important management challenges: o Financial management It has improved since the early days, but unlikely that progress will continue if the department doesn t modernize its financial systems DHS has put the development of financial management on hold It is necessary for directors to make informed decisions with limited resources o Information technology management There needs to be integration of systems for effective communication and information sharing this is a major problem o Acquisition management Inadequate oversight over acquisitions o Grants management FEMA has no system in place to evaluate if DHS grants help states prevent, prepare for, and recover from disasters/emergencies they need to start holding states accountable Questions Sen. Lieberman: What are the most important things to do to improve management? More money, personnel, motivation?

4 Skinner: Lack of resources is a problem, but we could have done more with what we had. There are also cultural problems there needs to be more cooperation. Everyone at higher levels knows there has to be IT integration, but agencies are hesitant to change. Sen. Lieberman: It seems that agencies are too independent-minded. Should we do something about this legislatively? Skinner: No, internally. Though if nothing is done there might be a need for pressure from external forces. Sen. Lieberman: What should Congress be doing? Allen: Supporting the operation of fusion centers that help create unity Harman: There should be sustained leadership by the secretary and deputy secretary. They should create clear goals. Sen. Collins: One problem that I think DHS has is determining the greatest threat and allocating resources for different threats. If you were the secretary of DHS what would be your first priority? Harman: We re being attacked asymmetrically. Cyber risks are very important and we should beef up in this area. We ve fought well against big attacks, but we should focus more on the threat of lone wolves that have been radicalized on the internet. We should also generally focus more on issues within the U.S., not just on border issues. Sen. Collins: What qualities should the administration look for in a new inspector general? Skinner: Extensive executive experience and strong leadership skills. It is also helpful to have a background in audits or inspections. The inspector general has to have the ability to recruit and retain many different kinds of people with different backgrounds. Sen. Carper: Where do we find common ground on the cyber security bill? Harman: Infrastructure has to be in the bill. We have to provide for the common defense. A better civil liberties board could help concerns about privacy. We are extremely vulnerable if we don t do anything. Allen: We need to understand standards and apply them to each sector. We need a bill this year. This is a valid role for the government. Sen. Johnson: What was the primary rationale for establishing the department?

5 Harman: Our government organization was not adequate. We missed cues. We needed to put people together. Allen: The concept originated before 9/11. Skinner: The whole concept was to unify the effort so different functions could work better together to prevent terrorist attacks and respond if one happens. Also to respond to natural disasters. Sen. Johnson: Have we created something too big to manage? Should we possibly demerge some agencies? Does its size make it less effective? Harman: It might be beneficial to limit some functions or integrate functions, but it s not the time to rearrange the deck chairs. I think Congress should be reorganized so that this committee and the House committee have more power. Skinner: I agree with Congresswoman Harman that now is not the time to rearrange the department. There needs to be more management support. Another problem is budget constraints. Sen. Akaka: What are the key privacy challenges DHS will face? Harman: Everyone needs to see that security and liberty are not a zero-sum game. We also need advocates all over as the executive branch considers these policies. Sen. Akaka: (After citing a study in which 2/3 of respondents were worried about invasion of privacy) What is the importance of including robust civil liberties and privacy regulations? Harman: The point of cyber security is to protect personal information and government secrets. Sen. Lieberman: What is your assessment of the ability of DHS to assess future threats? And Allen, please talk about the Coast Guard project Evergreen. Harman: Some threats are better understood than others. I don t think that most of the planning mechanisms are that good except in regard to airport security. Allen: Twelve years ago the Coast Guard started project Evergreen. It involves imagining possible threat scenarios and coming up with strategies against them. Skinner: There is a government wide responsibility to look for potential threats; it is not just the responsibility of DHS. Harman: We must think of what people will do next.

6 Sen. Collins: Admiral Allen, what do you think need to be done to improve problems? Allen: There needs to be mission support. The administration needs to put through a budget. There also needs to be a future year plan this would help with acquisitions. Sen. Johnson: Who is best capable of setting the standards for cyber security? Harman: The NSA has the technical capacity but DHS should be the public face. Skinner: It should be a collaborative effort between NSA, NSI, and DHS, with DHS providing oversight. Sen. Johnson: Is this a role for the private sector? Harman: It has to be a collaborative effort, but legislation should set up standards. Sen. Akaka: What are the most pressing challenges facing the DHS workforce? Allen: Low morale is a by-product of other issues. We need to improve leadership. Sen. Akaka: How is the morale within the TSA? It seems workers have problems. Skinner: There are turnover problems. Some of it is just the nature of the work. It is very tedious, hard work. There is also sometimes a lack of leadership at individual airports.