On the Issues
Homeland Security and First Responders
The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, focused our nation’s attention on the threat posed by violent extremists and the need to prepare our homeland to prevent and respond to these treats, leading to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The 22 government agencies that were placed within DHS include the Border Patrol, the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), among others.
As Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I help set priorities and allocate resources to our homeland security efforts. I have worked to ensure that the people responsible for protecting our country receive the funding and support they need to do their jobs, including our first responders who form our communities’ frontline of defense. And I have sought to ensure that in anticipating new threats we do not slack in preparedness for those natural disasters that are far more likely to occur.
In many ways our country is better prepared to face the terrorist threat than it was in 2001, and we have rebuilt much of our disaster response capacity that was diminished prior to Hurricane Katrina. But the challenges we face have continued to mount, and I have worked to ensure our homeland security agencies are not only responding to the latest threats but are anticipating new vulnerabilities.
For example, we must continue working to secure critical infrastructure, including our transit systems, ports, and information networks that are vulnerable to cyber attack; we need to remain vigilant in protecting our aviation system through the use of better technology and intelligence; and we must continue working to secure our borders amid the escalating threats of drug, weapon, and human trafficking and cartel violence.
For more information about my activities related to homeland security, please see my subcommittee’s website.
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