Critical Releases in Homeland Security: May 18, 2022

From the Highlights: "Each year, disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires affect hundreds of American communities. The federal government provides billions of dollars to individuals and communities that have suffered damages. According to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, extreme weather events are projected to become more frequent and intense in parts of the U.S. as a result of changes in the climate. Investments in disaster resilience can reduce the overall impact of future disasters and costs. This testimony discusses GAO [Government Accountability Office] reports issued from 2015 through 2021 on disaster preparedness and resilience. This includes FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency]'s National Preparedness System and associated grants; hazard mitigation grant programs; and GAO's Disaster Resilience Framework for identifying opportunities to enhance resilience. The statement also describes actions taken to address GAO's prior recommendations through March 2022."

From the Foreword: "As part of an administration-wide strategy to combat the rise in violent crime, in April 2021, President Biden and Attorney General Garland directed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to issue a comprehensive report on firearms commerce and trafficking. [...] This volume presents and analyzes data collected by ATF and other federal agencies related to the manufacture, exportation, and importation of firearms. Between 2000 and 2020, the number of Gun Control Act (GCA) firearms and National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons that were domestically manufactured, exported by U.S. manufacturers, or imported into the U.S. increased by 187%, 240% and 350% respectively. This data illustrates the flow of new firearms into the domestic market over time which can help document trends and patterns in commerce. Trends in firearm commerce highlighted by this report include the pistol becoming the dominant firearm type manufactured and imported into the U.S. over the last decade, and an increase of 24,080% in annual manufacturing of short-barreled rifles in the period from 2000 to 2020. This volume analyzes technological developments that have occurred in the past 20 years. One of the most significant developments affecting lawful firearm commerce and law enforcement's ability to reduce illegal access to guns in this period has been the proliferation of privately made firearms (PMFs)."

From the Introduction: "Illicit finance activity in the United States or transiting the U.S. financial system poses a systemic challenge to our financial integrity and national security. It distorts markets and victimizes ordinary Americans. [...] The National Strategy for Combating Terrorist and Other Illicit Financing (2022 Strategy) will guide U.S. government efforts to effectively address the most significant illicit finance threats and risks to the U.S. financial system. It is organized around the principle that a strong and transparent financial system that denies illicit actors access to the funds and resources they need to carry out harmful activities, or to profit from their crimes, supports equitable economic growth, strengthens U.S. national security, and protects Americans. The 2022 Strategy takes into account changes to the illicit finance risk environment and major deficiencies in the U.S. AML/CFT [anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism] regime. These include: the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, ransomware attacks, an opioid-driven overdose epidemic, domestic violent extremism (DVE), corruption, the increased digitization of payments and financial services, and the enactment of significant new requirements to the U.S. AML/CFT framework. More recently, this also includes Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the unprecedented international sanctions and economic pressure campaign that have occurred in response."