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Mistreatment of Military Families in Privatized Housing
From the Executive Summary: "During service to the nation, America's military service members and their families may live in on-base housing across the country. Nearly all of the family housing on military installations are operated by private companies, and service members pay rent to these companies with taxpayer dollars. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations ('Subcommittee' or 'PSI') has uncovered ongoing mistreatment of these service members and their families and mismanagement by one of the largest private military housing companies -- Balfour Beatty Communities, LLC ('Balfour') -- that has put the health and safety of military families at risk. Balfour operates more than 43,000 on-base homes at 55 separate Army, Navy, and Air Force bases in 26 states serving approximately 150,000 residents. PSI's eight month-long inquiry found numerous instances between November 2019 and February 2022 where Balfour's executives and managers failed to properly respond to both repairs and environmental hazards such as mold in homes on two military bases -- the Fort Gordon Army Base in Georgia ('Ft. Gordon'), where Balfour operates approximately 1,000 homes, and Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas ('Sheppard AFB'), where Balfour operates an estimated 700 homes. The PSI review was a case study of these bases, particularly Ft. Gordon. Balfour's failures in these instances exposed military service members and their families living on these bases to hazards that jeopardized their health and safety."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2022-04-26
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Pandemic Response and Accountability: Reducing Fraud and Expanding Access to COVID-19 Relief Through Effective Oversight, Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, Second Session, March 17, 2022
This is from the March 17, 2022 hearing on "Pandemic Response and Accountability: Reducing Fraud and Expanding Access to COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] Relief Through Effective Oversight," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs. From the opening statement of Gary C. Peters: "Today, we will examine the federal government's efforts to conduct oversight of vital pandemic relief spending. Over the past two years, Congress has authorized historic levels of emergency relief to address the public health and economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This important emergency relief helped ensure that families could make ends meet, and businesses could continue paying their employees during lockdowns. It also helped ensure that much-needed personal protective equipment could be secured, and that lifesaving vaccines could be developed, to help get our nation closer to bringing the pandemic under control." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jason S. Miller, Gene L. Dodaro, Michael E. Horowitz and Larry D. Turner.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2022-03-17
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America's Data Held Hostage: Case Studies in Ransomware Attacks on American Companies
From the Executive Summary: "More than ever before, cyber criminals have the ability to disrupt Americans' lives from anywhere in the world. Over time, attackers' tactics have evolved and improved and cyberattacks now have the potential to paralyze entire industry sectors. Organizations are racing to update their systems and improve their defenses to counter this threat. The proliferation of ransomware attacks is a primary example of this challenge. [...] This report details the attacks by Russia-based ransomware group REvil [Ransomware Evil] on three American companies, and the experiences of those companies during the incident response. The goal of this report is to provide information companies and agencies can use to prepare for and respond to ransomware attacks."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Portman, Robert J. (Robert Jones), 1955-
2022-03
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Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the Threat of Racially, Ethnically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated Attacks, Part II, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, August 5, 2021
This is the August 5, 2021 hearing on "Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the Threat of Racially, Ethnically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated Attacks, Part Two" held before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Elizabeth Neumann, Maya Berry, Jonathan Greenblatt, and Brian Levin. The duration of the video is 1 hours, 55 minutes, and 6 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2021-08-05
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Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data 'Still' at Risk, Staff Report, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, August 2021
From the Executive Summary: "In June 2019, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (Subcommittee) issued a bipartisan report titled: 'Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data at Risk' (the 2019 Report). That report highlighted systemic failures of eight key Federal agencies to comply with Federal cybersecurity standards identified by agencies' inspectors general. [...] This report revisits those same eight agencies two years later. What this report finds is stark. Inspectors general identified many of the same issues that have plagued Federal agencies for more than a decade. Seven agencies made minimal improvements, and only DHS managed to employ and effective cybersecurity regime for 2020. As such, this report find that these seven Federal agencies still have not met the basic cybersecurity standards necessary to protect America's sensitive data."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2021-08
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Threats to Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Colonial Pipeline Cyber Attack, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, First Session, June 8, 2021
This is the June 8, 2021 hearing on "Threats to Critical Infrastructure: Examining the Colonial Pipeline Cyber Attack," held before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Joseph A. Blount. The duration of the video is 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 20 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2021-06-08
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Examining the U.S. Capitol Attack: A Review of the Security, Planning, and Response Failures on January 6
From the Executive Summary: "On January 6, 2021, the world witnessed a violent and unprecedented attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Vice President, Members of Congress, and the democratic process. Rioters, attempting to disrupt the Joint Session of Congress, broke into the Capitol building, vandalized and stole property, and ransacked offices. They attacked members of law enforcement and threatened the safety and lives of our nation's elected leaders. Tragically, seven individuals, including three law enforcement officers, ultimately lost their lives. [...] This report addresses the security, planning, and response failures of the entities directly responsible for Capitol security--USCP [United States Capitol Police] and the Capitol Police Board, which is comprised of the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol as voting members, and the USCP Chief as a non-voting member--along with critical breakdowns involving several federal agencies, particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation ('FBI'), Department of Homeland Security ('DHS'), and Department of Defense ('DOD'). The Committees also made a series of recommendations for the Capitol Police Board, USCP, federal intelligence agencies, DOD, and other Capital region law enforcement agencies to address the intelligence and security failures."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Rules and Administration
2021-06-08?
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Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the Threat of Racially, Ethnically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated Attacks, Part I, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, August 3, 2021
This is the August 3, 2021 hearing on "Domestic Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Examining the Threat of Racially, Ethnically, Religiously, and Politically Motivated Attacks, Part One" held before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Wade Henderson, Eric Fingerhut, John Yang, Paul Goldenberg, and Seth G. Jones. The duration of the video is 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 1 second.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2021
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Getting the Most Bang for Our Buck: Making Smart Federal Investments in Workforce and Skills Training
From the Executive Summary: "Americans need the right skills and education to thrive in today's global economy. More and more jobs require advanced degrees, and the U.S. manufacturing sector -- previously a place where individuals without a higher degree could earn a good living -- increasingly demands workers with higher skills certificates or degrees to fill advanced manufacturing jobs. The federal government has long encouraged, and financially supported, students attending 4-year institutions of higher education, largely through financial assistance provided by the Departments of Education and Veterans Affairs. Given the costs of attending such institutions -- $37,548 per year for 4-year colleges and universities, on average -- and the fact that a significant proportion of students do not graduate with degrees, it is critical to examine all ways in which the federal government provides assistance to prepare Americans for their careers. The government's approach to funding, promoting, and prioritizing skills and technical training programs needs to be appropriately aligned to help individuals attain the skills needed for today's higher paying jobs at a cost they can afford."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-11-13?
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USPS Oversight Update
From the Document: "This update assesses concerning trends in the most recent United States Postal Service (USPS) service performance data provided to Congress. The analysis finds that widespread fluctuations in on-time mail delivery continue months after problems were first identified and that some parts of the country are facing increasing delays. In August 2020, Senator Peters launched an investigation into operational changes to mail delivery directed by U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in July 2020, one month after Mr. DeJoy took office. Senator Peters released a series of reports detailing the extent of the delays and the harmful impacts Postmaster General DeJoy's directives had on seniors, small business owners, and others who depend on the Postal Service for critical deliveries. On October 9, 2020, Senator Peters released an oversight update assessing the Postal Service's recent efforts to address delivery delays. This update finds that while the Postal Service has taken certain steps in response to congressional oversight and litigation to roll back prior changes directed by Postmaster General DeJoy and improve on-time mail delivery across the country, those steps have fallen short as on-time delivery continues to decline in several major cities across the U.S."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-10-20
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Road to Recovery: Administration Must Build Public Trust and Ensure Safe, Effective, and Free Coronavirus Vaccines
From the Executive Summary: "Public health preparedness is an issue of national security. As of this report, the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has infected more than 8 million Americans, and taken the lives of more than 219,000, leaving the United States to represent the highest number of cases and deaths in the world. The Trump Administration's failure to establish a comprehensive response that includes a surge in testing, contact tracing, and the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as the Administration's continued political interference in what should be a science-based public health response, has made combating this pandemic even harder. A safe and effective vaccine that is free of charge and widely available to all Americans is an essential factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19. [...] This report, undertaken at the direction of U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, identifies critical gaps in the Administration's vaccine preparedness measures and recommends essential actions to strengthen our nation's response and speed the return to a post-pandemic world. More than nine months since President Trump learned about the severity and lethality of the coming COVID-19 pandemic, the United States still lacks a comprehensive national plan to combat the virus and continues to struggle securing N95 respirators and testing reagents, putting all Americans at increased risk."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-10-16?
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Interim Report on Threat of Postmaster General Dejoy's Postal Service Delays
From the Background: "On August 6, 2020, U.S. Senator Gary Peters, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, launched an investigation into Postal Service delays resulting from operational changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS) made by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. This interim report provides an update on Senator Peters' ongoing investigation and related responses by the Postmaster General. In July, Senator Peters sought answers from newly installed Postmaster General DeJoy, following reports that Postmaster General DeJoy had directed widespread changes to Postal Service operations that many postal workers, experts, and others feared would cause significant delays and disrupt service for the millions of Americans who rely on the mail every day. These changes included the elimination of extra mail transportation trips, the reduction of overtime, the start of a pilot program for mail sorting and delivery policies at hundreds of post offices, and the reduction of equipment at mail processing plants. As Senator Peters wrote to Postmaster General DeJoy in July, these changes have slowed mail delivery and compromised service for veterans, small businesses, rural communities, seniors, and millions of Americans who rely on the mail for medicines, essential goods, voting, correspondence, and for their livelihoods."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Peters, Gary C.
2020-08-21
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Art Industry and U.S. Policies That Undermine Sanctions, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "The United States government imposes economic sanctions on foreign adversaries in attempt to change their behavior. In theory, sanctions are simple. U.S. persons and companies are prohibited from doing business with sanctioned persons and entities. This prohibition should bar access to the world's largest economy. The United States imposes sanctions for a wide range of reasons. For example, the United States has imposed sanctions on Russia for election interference, human rights abuses, providing support to Venezuela and Syria, but mainly in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This report focuses, in particular, on a case study documenting how certain Russian oligarchs appear to have used transactions involving high-value art to evade sanctions imposed on them by the United States on March 20, 2014 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2020-07-29?
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Billions Wasted: No Excuse for Taxpayer Dollars Going to Deceased People
From the Executive Summary: "On March 13, 2020, the Trump Administration declared a national emergency in response to the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To help combat the pandemic and to address the needs of Americans facing severe health, economic, and security concerns, Congress passed the 'Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.' Provisions of the $2.2 trillion law included stimulus payments to help provide necessary relief for Americans devastated by the economic impacts of COVID-19. However, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Treasury has sent at least $1.4 billion in payments to deceased individuals as of April 30, totaling 1.1 million individual payments. [...] In order to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, Treasury must answer for its mismanagement of $1.4 billion in payments that went to deceased people, including its failure to implement safeguards and communicate with the public in a timely manner. Congress must also take immediate action to guard against future agency waste and enhance tools for preventing improper payments to deceased people."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-06-29?
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Role of the Strategic National Stockpile in Pandemic Response [video]
This is the June 24, 2020 hearing on "Role of the Strategic National Stockpile in Pandemic Response," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the Opening Statement of Ron Johnson: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] continues to inflict a terrible human and economic toll on the United States. In just over five months, the U.S. has experienced over 120,000 deaths and over 2 million total infections, and tens of millions have lost their jobs. As Congress reviews our response to COVID-19, it is important to take the lessons we have learned during this crisis to better prepare for a pandemic or other biological event of this scale in the future. The focus of today's hearing is the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Julie L. Gerberding, Daniel M. Gerstein, W. Gregory Burel, and Andrew Phelps. The duration of this video is 2 hours, 6 minutes, and 37 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-06-24
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Damage from Delays: Trump Administration Slow to Distribute COVID-19 Relief as Hospitals Forced to Furlough Workers
From the Executive Summary: "This report finds that rising costs associated with treating COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] patients combined with the inability to perform revenue-generating elective surgeries is pushing hospitals toward insolvency. Many hospitals that were already financially vulnerable are the only medical provider serving rural and low-income communities and are at especially high risk of closure. The report also assesses financial challenges impacting the health care industry and their effect on the entire public health response. Frontline workers, their families, the larger medical care community, and the public they serve all feel the effects. The health care workforce has seen unprecedented job losses and hospitals continue to furlough, lay off, and reduce the salaries of employees even as their operational demands increase. Although most cuts fell on employees not directly treating COVID-19 patients, frontline medical workers have also been impacted."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-06-22?
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Threats to U.S. Networks: Oversight of Chinese Government-Owned Carriers, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "Information and telecommunications technologies bring the world closer together, allowing individuals and businesses nearly everywhere in the world to communicate with each other. The expansion of global telecommunications networks, in particular, acts as a driving force of economic development by affording individuals unprecedented access to information and opportunities. Understanding the increasing interconnectedness of society, the Federal Communications Commission ('FCC')--the federal agency tasked with regulating the U.S. telecommunications industry--strives to open U.S. markets to foreign telecommunications carriers, where doing so is in the country's public interest. As a result, foreign-owned carriers have established operations within the United States. Not all international expansion of telecommunications carriers, however, is in the United States' national security interests. Some foreign governments seek to exploit the openness of America's telecommunications market to advance their own national interests. One such country is China. The Chinese government views telecommunications as a 'strategic' industry. [...] This report details how the U.S. federal government--particularly the FCC, Department of Justice ('DOJ'), and Department of Homeland Security ('DHS')-- historically exercised minimal oversight to safeguard U.S. telecommunications networks against risks posed by Chinese state-owned carriers."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2020-06-09?
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COVID-19: How New Information Should Drive Policy, Roundtable Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, May 6, 2020 [video]
This video is from the May 6, 2020 roundtable hearing on "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]: How New Information Should Drive Policy," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Scott W. Atlas, David L. Katz, Pierre Kory, John P.A. Ioannidis, Avik Roy, and Tom Inglesby. The length of the video is 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 35 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-05-06
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Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, March 5, 2020 [video]
This video is from the March 5, 2020 hearing on "Federal Interagency Response to the Coronavirus and Preparing for Future Global Pandemics," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Kenneth T. Cuccinelli and Robert Kadlec. The length of the video is 2 hours, 25 minutes, and 54 seconds.
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-03-05
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Roundtable: Are We Prepared? Protecting the U.S. from Global Pandemics [video]
From the Opening Statement of Ron Johnson: "The emergence of the novel coronavirus from Wuhan, China and its arrival on our doorstep shows the threat that pandemics pose to our nation. Already, around the world, this coronavirus has infected tens of thousands of people and killed hundreds. […] If we want to stop infectious diseases from becoming global problems, then we must ensure that our policies and procedures are thoughtfully developed and ready to go before the next infection crosses our borders. To achieve this goal, we must be able to answer some key questions: First and foremost, who's in charge? We have learned that an effective response to a pandemic requires a whole-of-government approach: health officials who identify and treat the disease, homeland security officials who protect against infection, and a host of others. But our response is not effective if it is not well-managed. Second, do we have clear strategies and plans to combat these global diseases and pandemics? Third, what lessons have we learned from previous responses? Have we addressed and resolved those issues?" Witnesses for this roundtable include the following: Nikki Clowers, Julie L. Gerberding, Scott Gottlieb, Luciana Borio, and Asha M. George. A transcript for the opening statement in this 2 hour, 12 minute, 32 second video is also available [https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Opening Statement-Johnson-2020-02-12.pdf].
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020-02-12
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Failure to Deliver: Harm Caused by U.S. Postmaster General DeJoy's Changes to Postal Service Mail Delivery
From the Executive Summary: "At the direction of Ranking Member Peters, this report evaluates the extent of the harm caused by Postmaster General DeJoy's directives, the reliability of claims made about who ordered these changes and how and why they were made, and the extent of service delays as a result of these changes. This report also assesses the Postal Service's procedures for moving election mail and its responses to public concerns about readiness for high volumes of election mail in 2020."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2020?
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Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "American taxpayers contribute over $150 billion each year to scientific research in the United States. Through entities like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy's National Labs, taxpayers fund innovations that contribute to our national security and profoundly change the way we live. America built this successful research enterprise on certain values: reciprocity, integrity, merit-based competition, and transparency. These values foster a free exchange of ideas, encourage the most rigorous research results to flourish, and ensure that researchers receive the benefit of their intellectual capital. The open nature of research in America is manifest; we encourage our researchers and scientists to 'stand on the shoulders of giants.' In turn, America attracts the best and brightest. Foreign researchers and scholars travel to the United States just to participate in the advancement of science and technology."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-11-18?
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Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans, Appendix B: China's Talent Recruitment Plan Case Studies
This document contains China's talent recruitment plan case studies as described in Congressional report titled "Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-11-18?
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Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans, Appendix a: China's Talent Recruitment Plan Contracts
This document includes China's talent recruitment plan contracts as presented in the Congressional report titled "Threats to the U.S. Research Enterprise: China's Talent Recruitment Plans."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-11-18?
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Abuses of the Federal Notice-And-Comment Rulemaking Process
From the Executive Summary: "Federal agencies depend on relevant, substantive information from a wide variety of parties to assist them in developing and updating federal regulations. This information includes comments submitted by members of the public, businesses, non-profit organizations, and academics. This process, known as 'notice-and-comment rulemaking,' transitioned from paper to the internet in the early 2000s. As a result, the public has more opportunity than ever to engage in the federal rulemaking process by reviewing electronic regulatory dockets and submitting comments through portals like Regulations.gov and the Federal Communications Commission's ('FCC') Electronic Comment Filing System ('ECFS'). [...] After the FCC received nearly 24 million comments in the course of just one rulemaking proceeding in 2017 and its website crashed due to the volume of comments submitted simultaneously, the Subcommittee initiated a review of federal commenting systems to understand their flaws and develop recommendations to improve them."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
Carper, Thomas R., 1947-; Portman, Robert J. (Robert Jones), 1955-
2019-10-24?
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True Cost of Government Shutdowns, Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress
From the Executive Summary: "The Constitution grants Congress the power of the purse. Specifically, Congress has the sole responsibility to raise revenue and appropriate money to fund the federal government. When Congress and the President fail to reach agreement on legislation to appropriate funds, affected federal agencies shut down and suspend most activities. During this time, federal law prevents most federal employees from working and most are sent home without pay. In recent shutdowns, however, the spending legislation ultimately agreed upon by Congress and the President provided back pay for federal employees. As such, the American taxpayer funded furloughed federal employees' salaries for the duration of each shutdown, even when employees were not permitted to go to work. This report documents the cost to the American taxpayer of the last three government shutdowns."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
2019-09-17?
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Federal Cybersecurity: America's Data at Risk, Staff Report of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, June 25, 2019
From the Executive Summary: "The number of data breaches agencies have reported in recent years is not surprising given the current cybersecurity posture of the federal government. A recent report by the Office of Management and Budget ('OMB') made clear that agencies 'do not understand and do not have the resources to combat the current threat environment.' This is especially concerning given the information agencies must collect and hold. This report documents the extent to which the federal government is the target of cybersecurity attacks, how key federal agencies have failed to address vulnerabilities in their IT [information technology] infrastructure, and how these failures have left America's sensitive personal information unsafe and vulnerable to theft."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-06-25?
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How Equifax Neglected Cybersecurity and Suffered a Devastating Data Breach: Staff Report, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, United States Senate
From the Executive Summary: "In the modern world, businesses collect and compile data about their customers and potential customers. Without proper precautions, this information can be stored or transmitted in ways that leave it vulnerable to theft. The information collected by consumer reporting agencies ('CRAs') to compile credit reports is one example of PII [personally identifiable information] that must be protected. [...] In 2017, one of the largest CRAs, Equifax Inc. ('Equifax') announced that it had suffered a data breach that involved the PII of over 145 million Americans. The Subcommittee investigated the causes of this breach to identify ways to prevent future incidents of this scope. The Subcommittee also reviewed the efforts of Equifax's two largest competitors, Experian plc ('Experian') and TransUnion LLC ('TransUnion'), in responding to the vulnerability that ultimately led to the Equifax data breach."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
2019-03-06?
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How the U.S. Immigration System Encourages Child Marriages
"U.S. law and U.S. Department of State policy aim to prevent and reduce the risks of child marriages occurring around the world, yet major loopholes in U.S. law have allowed thousands of minors to be subjected to child marriages. Under the 'Immigration and Nationality Act' ('INA'), a U.S. child may petition for a visa for a spouse or fiancé living in another country, and a U.S. adult may petition for a visa for a minor spouse or fiancé living abroad. [...] Over the last eleven years (FY2007 to FY2017), USCIS [U.S. Customs and Immigration Services] approved 3,595,447 petitions for spousal or fiancé entry in to the United States. Of those, 8,686 involved a minor. Two minors whose petitions were approved were 13 years old; 38 were 14 years old; 269 were 15 years old; 1,768 were 16 years old; and the remaining 6,609 were 17 years old. Girls were the younger party in 95 percent of the petitions approved by USCIS."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Johnson, Ron, 1955-
2019-01-11
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Judicial Rulings Ending the Obama Administration's Family Detention Policy: Implications for Illegal Immigration and Border Security
"The political debate over immigration--both legal and illegal--has become steadily more divisive over the last few decades, resulting in a policy stalemate. The complexity, inadequacy of information, and changing nature of the problem only deepen the challenge of finding solutions. [...] No one really knows how many people enter the United States illegally each year, or how many people currently reside in the country illegally. The number of apprehensions is often used as a surrogate statistic to estimate the levels of illegal immigration and residency. It is an imperfect surrogate to say the least. To illustrate one distortion, some Mexican migrants living close to the border who attempt to enter the country illegally may be apprehended multiple times. Migrants from Central America who are apprehended and returned to their countries of origin do not have the same opportunity for multiple illegal crossings. As a result, multiple apprehensions of Mexicans tend to overstate the assumed extent of illegal immigration. Even the definition of 'apprehension' itself has changed over time, further distorting the numbers. [...] The goal of any immigration reform should be to deter and reduce the number of people entering illegally, overstaying a visa, or entering without proper documentation. Immigration should be a legal and controlled process. Over the last 30 years, Congress has passed multiple bills that are either primarily designed to fix this problem or that have elements that attempt to address it. [...] [I]n spite of these attempted legislative fixes, the problem has only continued to grow."
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Johnson, Ron, 1955-
2019-01-10
