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The Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations is one of the most active subcommittees on Capitol Hill. Focusing primarily on terrorism, the Subcommittee has looked extensively at domestic preparedness, response capabilities and military force protection – holding over 20 hearings prior to the attacks of September 11, 2001, as well as Department of Defense weapon acquisition programs, internal Department of State reforms, and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
In the 108th Congress, the Subcommittee changed its name to the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations and assumed oversight responsibility for the newly created Department of Homeland Security. The Subcommittee has also continued with hearings on the proliferation of counterterrorism strategies, security at nuclear power plants, protecting deployed troops from toxins, strengthening DOD business systems, rightsizing the U.S. diplomatic presence abroad, controlling costs of tactical aircraft programs, the DOD structure for handling attacks on the homeland, and improving public health surveillance.
In the 107th Congress, the Subcommittee continued investigations begun in the 106th Congress on combating terrorism and homeland security, force protection, military readiness, veterans health, Persian Gulf War illnesses, Defense Department financial management (particularly of weapon systems), and the Defense Security Service and began hearings on right-sizing the U.S. diplomatic presence overseas and rule-of-law foreign assistance programs.
In the 106th Congress, Christopher Shays became chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations, where he continued some of the veterans safety issues he had pursued in previous Congresses. The new subcommittee also began investigations into U.S. counterterrorism efforts and preparedness, force protection, the military’s anthrax vaccination program, the acquisition of tactical aircraft, the difficulties with processing security clearances at the Defense Security Service, and the Inter-American Foundation.
In the 105th Congress, the Subcommittee on Human Resources continued many of the investigations from the previous Congress, culminating in reports on the Persian Gulf War illnesses that forced the Department of Defense to acknowledge significant numbers of U.S. and coalition forces had been exposed to low levels of chemical weapons agents and blood safety that forced the Department of Health and Human Services and private sector to notify those who may have been exposed to hepatitis C. In addition, investigations into Medicare and Medicaid fraud led to legislation to combat problems previously overlooked. Another investigation into the Department of Housing and Urban Development led to new controls to improve management of public housing funds and avoid misuse.
In the 104th Congress, Chairman Christopher Shays chaired the Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations. The Subcommittee began investigations into the Persian Gulf War illnesses, the Food and Drug Administration approval process, blood safety, food safety, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, housing programs, labor programs, and the issues of federalism.
In 1998, Majority Leader Dick Armey recognized the accomplishments of the Subcommittee when he gave the Subcommittee an “Excellence in Programmatic Oversight” Award for work on Gulf War veterans’ illnesses and blood safety. In 2002, Aviation Week gave the Subcommittee and the GAO one of their annual “Laurel” awards citing “exceptionally detailed investigation of the underlying causes of military aircraft cannibalization.”
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