This week on the House floor, Congressman Forbes addressed the Secretary of Defense's refusal to produce an annual shipbuilding plan that is required by law. Watch his remarks in the video below or read the transcript here.  

The Missing Piece 

Our federal agencies like the Departments of Defense, State, Homeland Security, Treasury and others like the CIA or FBI have separate operational styles, different capatabilities, and they operate under different laws.

But to adequately meet the threats of the 21st century, it is important that these departments and agencies can properly communicate and understand each other. "Interagency Reform" has been considered by many to be the missing piece in the puzzle of adequately protecting our homeland.

The Heritage Foundation released a report about the importance of interagency reform to homeland security. Here is an excerpt from that report:

Homeland security is a new core competence of government. The professionals that lead the effort must have three essential skills:

- Familiarity with a number of diverse security-related disciplines (such as health care, law enforcement, immigration, and trade) and practice in interagency operations, working with different government agencies, the private sector, and international partners;

- Competence in crisis action and long-term strategic planning; and

- A sound understanding of federalism, the free-market economy, constitutional rights, and international relations.

Simply, to achieve a true competence in government and to adequately protect our homeland, we must have strategic cooperation and communication between government agencies.

I introduced H.R. 2207, the Interagency Cooperation Commission (ICC) Act. The bill would bring together officials from the Administration, Congress, and outside experts to recommend legislative and regulatory changes to improve the coordination of federal activities for major undertakings such as post-Katrina recovery, the government pandemic flu response, and coordinating government policy toward China and other countries.

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Find out what Congressman Forbes is doing to reign in out-of-control government spending.
 

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Forbes Discusses Birthright Citizenship  
 

Sep 23, 2009
Forbes Receives “True Blue” Award for Support of Family, Faith, Freedom in America  

Sep 21, 2009
Forbes Visits Local Healthcare Facilities