DHSNew report highlights unfulfilled recommendation by 9/11 Commission
New report says that failure to enact one of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission – consolidated congressional oversight of DHS – poses a risk to U.S. national security. “While the failure to reform DHS oversight may be invisible to the public, it is not without consequence or risk. Fragmented jurisdiction impedes DHS’ ability to deal with three major vulnerabilities: the threats posed by small aircraft and boats; cyberattacks; and biological weapons,” one of the report’s authors says.
Second airliner about to impact the second World Trade Center tower // Source: alwasatnews.com
Nearly a decade after the 9/11 Commission issued its report on the greatest act of terrorism on U.S. soil, one of its most significant recommendations has not been acted upon. The call for consolidated congressional oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is, in the words of Commission co-chair Thomas H. Kean, “maybe the toughest recommendation” because Congress does not usually reform itself.
An Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands release reports that the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands and the Aspen Institute’s Justice & Society Program convened a task force of distinguished current and former members of Congress, executive branch and DHS officials, and other homeland security experts to review this recommendation and recommend a strategy going forward.
In its new report, released last week, the task force warns: “While the failure to reform DHS oversight may be invisible to the public, it is not without consequence or risk. Fragmented jurisdiction impedes DHS’ ability to deal with three major vulnerabilities: the threats posed by small aircraft and boats; cyberattacks; and biological weapons.”
Specific recommendations of the Sunnylands-Aspen Institute task force include:
DHS should have an oversight structure similar to other critical departments, such as Defense and Justice.
Congressional committees with jurisdiction over DHS should have overlapping membership.
DHS should have an authorization bill giving the department clear direction from Congress.
— Read more in Task Force Report on Streamlining and Consolidating Congressional Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, Aspen Institute Justice Society Program, September 2013)
