A Look Ahead: House Committee on Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, announced the following upcoming Committee events:
Tuesday, June 19
10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Ms. Donna A. Bucella
Assistant Commissioner
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Office of Intelligence and Investigative Liaison
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. James A. Dinkins
Executive Associate Director
Homeland Security Investigations
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Rear Admiral William Lee
Deputy for Operations Policy & Capabilities
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Chairman Miller on the hearing:
“As we have strengthened the Department of Homeland Security presence along the borders, drug cartels, human smugglers, and illegal aliens have come up with innovative and creative ways to bypass our security measures. We want to examine the Department’s response to these shifting border smuggling tactics and their use of small boats, semi and fully submersibles, small ultra light aircraft, and the proliferation of border tunnels. As we put pressure on one area, these drug cartels and smugglers shift to another which directly points to a need for a comprehensive strategy to secure the border. Ad hoc deployments of resources to plug a hole, or address a gap that exists today without thinking about the drug cartel’s next move has to be replaced with analytical thinking that anticipates weaknesses that our adversary may try to exploit. I will be interested in understanding how the Department is responding to new and evolving challenges along the borders.”
Subcommittee Hearing: Is TSA's Planned Purchase of CAT/BPSS a Wise Use of Taxpayer Dollars?
1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Transportation Security
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Mr. Kelly Hoggan
Assistant Administrator for the Office of Security Capabilities
Transportation Security Administration
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Stephen M. Lord
Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues
Government Accountability Office
Chairman Rogers on the hearing:
"This hearing will address yet another ill-advised technology acquisition at TSA, CAT/BPSS. TSA has not addressed several fundamental weaknesses in the technology that could render it ineffective. As TSA attempts to rebrand itself as a threat-driven agency, CAT/BPSS sticks out like a sore thumb. It does not appear to be integrated into TSA's other security layers; its capabilities are not designed to prevent an attack on aviation; it will not lead to personnel reductions; and its deployment schedule does not appear to be risk-based. This hearing will provide an opportunity to examine whether purchasing 1,400 CAT/BPSS units actually makes us more secure and is a wise use of taxpayer dollars."
Wednesday, June 20
10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, June 20, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Committee on Homeland Security
Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
M. Zuhdi Jasser, MD
President and Founder
American Islamic Forum for Democracy
Minority witness to be announced
Chairman King on the hearing:
“When I began this series of investigative hearings in March of last year to examine radicalization within the Muslim-American community, I was vilified by the politically correct media, pandering politicians and radical groups such as CAIR – even though this issue was non-partisan and of serious concern to national security and counterterrorism officials in the Obama administration.
“To date, we have examined radicalization of Muslim-Americans generally, focused on the problem of radicalization in U.S. prisons, investigated al-Shabaab’s recruitment of more than 40 young American Muslims, and examined the threat to military communities inside the U.S following attacks at Fort Hood and in Little Rock. Our witnesses included a number of Muslims, including a Muslim leader who testified at the al-Shabaab hearing that these hearings have empowered the Muslim Community to confront this serious problem.
“Next week’s hearing, at which I will be calling three Muslim witnesses, will expand on the prior hearings to examine the impact they have had in the Muslim Community’s ability to address this issue and on U.S. efforts to counter al-Qaeda and affiliated groups’ radicalizing of Muslims in this country to carry out terrorist attacks on the homeland.”
Thursday, June 21
Subcommittee Hearing: U.S.-Caribbean Border: Open Road for Drug Traffickers and Terrorists
9 a.m. on Thursday, June 21, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Panel I
The Honorable Luis Fortuño
Governor
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Panel II
Rear Admiral William Lee
Deputy for Operations, Policy, and Capabilities
United States Coast Guard
Ms. Janice Ayala
Assistant Director for Operations
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Kevin McAleenan
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations
Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Michael Kostelnik
Assistant Commissioner, Office of Air and Marine
Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Chairman McCaul on the hearing:
“The Caribbean region is an unlocked back door into the U.S. mainland. Drugs are flowing, terrorists are establishing ties with drug cartels and the United States does not have a strategy to deal with this growing threat to our nation that emanates from this region. We welcome the Governor of Puerto Rico, the Honorable Luis Fortuño's appearance before our Subcommittee to discuss the threat and what the U.S. Government is doing to help our fellow American citizens. The purpose of our hearing is to examine the Caribbean maritime drug routes, the high level of drug-related violence in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the connection between drug cartels and terrorists. Most importantly, the Subcommittee would like to know what the Federal agencies are doing to counter these growing threats to our third border.”
***See www.homeland.house.gov for updates.
***Coverage note: All Committee on Homeland Security proceedings are webcast live at www.homeland.house.gov/live-video-feed.
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