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Immigration Application Fees: Costing Methodology Improvements Would Provide More Reliable Basis for Setting Fees, Report to Congressional Requesters
"The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for granting or denying immigration benefits to individuals. USCIS charges fees for the millions of immigration applications it receives each year to fund the cost of processing and adjudicating them. In February 2007, USCIS completed a study to determine the full costs of its operations and the level at which application fees should be set to recover those costs. USCIS's new fee schedule increased application fees by a weighted average of 86 percent. Almost 96 percent of USCIS's fiscal year 2008 budget of $2.6 billion was expected to have come from fees. GAO was asked to review the methodology USCIS used in its fee review and controls in place over collection and use of fees. In this report, GAO addresses the consistency of the methodology with federal accounting standards and principles and other guidance, including whether key assumptions and methods were sufficiently justified and documented. The report also addresses internal controls USCIS has in place over the collection and use of fees. GAO makes six recommendations to help USCIS make its costing methodology consistent with standards and principles, strengthen the reliability of the cost assignments it uses to set fees, and better support the reasonableness of its assumptions and methods. DHS and USCIS concurred with our recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-01
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Homeland Defense: Actions Needed to Improve Management of Air Sovereignty Alert Operations to Protect U.S. Airspace, Report to Congressional Requesters
"According to U.S. intelligence, the threat to U.S airspace remains. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is to defend U.S. air space and the U.S. Air Force has 18 sites in the United States that conduct air sovereignty alert (ASA) operations. ASA operations support fighter aircraft in conducting homeland air defense operations. GAO [Government Accountability Office] examined the extent to which NORAD has adopted a risk-based management approach to determine ASA operational requirements, the Air Force has implemented ASA operations as a steady-state mission in accordance with Department of Defense (DOD), NORAD, and Air Force directives and guidance, the Air Force assesses the readiness of units conducting ASA operations, and the Air Force faces challenges in sustaining ASA operations for the future and what plans, if any, it has to address such challenges. GAO reviewed relevant ASA guidance, directives, and planning documents; and interviewed DOD officials, including the commanders of all 18 ASA sites. GAO recommends that DOD conduct routine risk assessments, implement ASA as a steady-state mission, and develop plans to address future challenges. DOD agreed with some and partially agreed with other recommendations. GAO clarified the recommendations based on DOD comments on a draft of this report."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-01
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Research Challenges in Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States
"IEDs are generally easy to develop, difficult to combat, and cause disproportionate harm (physical and psychological) to the citizenry. RDT&E options to assist in domestic IED efforts are plentiful, easily overwhelming the ability of government and industry to fund. This report outlines ten challenge areas where concentrated research can be most beneficial in combating IED use in the homeland, and is a summation of interagency efforts to analyze operational capabilities and gaps, as well as their associated research needs. [...] Terrorists have repeatedly shown their willingness and ability to use explosives as weapons worldwide and there is ample evidence to support the conclusion that they will continue to use such devices to inflict harm. In acknowledgement of this threat, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 19 (HSPD-19), 'Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States,' which establishes overall national policy, and calls for the development of a national strategy and an implementation plan to deter, prevent, detect, protect against, and respond to terrorist use of explosives in the United States. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the Department of Defense (DoD) and other interagency partners, developed the National Strategy to Combat Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States and the HSPD-19 Implementation Plan, which provide a way forward. Both the National Strategy and the Implementation Plan highlight the importance of a coordinated approach to a counter-IED (C-IED) RDT&E program."
National Science and Technology Council (U.S.)
2008-12
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2008 Research and Development Exchange Workshop Proceedings: Evolving National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) Communications in a Global Environment
"From September 25-26, 2008, the President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) conducted its eighth Research and Development Exchange (RDX) Workshop entitled, Evolving National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) Communications in a Global Environment. The purpose of the event was to stimulate an exchange of ideas among researchers, operational users, and executives from Government, industry, and academia focused on the full range of research and development (R&D) issues affecting NS/EP communications networks, advance the security of free nations, and enhance preparedness and response activities across sectors. Dramatically changing business models of traditional telecommunications carriers, along with new technologies, are accelerating the advancement of global communications networks. The scale, scope, and character of the global next generation networks will revolutionize the planning, prioritization, and delivery of NS/EP communications. The 2008 RDX Workshop addressed a variety of high-level concerns that are affecting the communications and cyber environment and the way those concerns could alter NS/EP efforts. The goal of the event was to gather valuable information from the assembled experts that the NSTAC's Research and Development Task Force (RDTF) could use to assist in developing proposed Presidential recommendations for the NSTAC."
United States. President's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee
2009
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Federal User Fees: Additional Analyses and Timely Reviews Could Improve Immigration and Naturalization User Fee Design and USCIS Operations, Report to Congressional Requesters
"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an increase to its immigration and naturalization application fees by an average of 86 percent, effective July 2007, contributing to a surge in application volume that challenged the agency's pre-adjudicative operations. In July 2007, the incoming application volume increased an unprecedented 100 percent over the prior month and the processing of 1.47 million applications was delayed. GAO was asked to review USCIS's current fee design and compare it to the principles in GAO's user-fee design guide and USCIS's management of operations affected by the new fees, specifically in projecting application volumes and contracting for application processing services. To do so, GAO reviewed legislation and agency documentation; compared the fee design to GAO's principles of effective user-fee design (equity, efficiency, revenue adequacy, and administrative burden); visited processing centers; and interviewed agency officials at these locations and in headquarters. GAO is making seven recommendations to the Director of Homeland Security to improve the timing and comprehensiveness of its next fee review; analyze and use application projection information for workload purposes; and implement procedures to validate contractors' invoices for incoming mail. DHS agreed with GAO's recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-01
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Capstone Concept for Joint Operations Version 3.0
"The Capstone Concept for Joint Operations describes in broad terms my vision for how the joint force circa 2016-2028 will operate in response to a wide variety of security challenges. It proposes that future joint force commanders will combine and subsequently adapt some combination of four basic categories of military activity--combat, security, engagement, and relief and reconstruction--in accordance with the unique requirements of each operational situation. The concept is informed by current strategic guidance, but because it looks to the future, it is intended to be adaptable, as it must be, to changes in that guidance. This concept's primary purpose is to guide force development and experimentation by: (1) establishing a common framework for military professionals for thinking about future joint operations, (2) visualizing future joint operations for policymakers and others with an interest in the employment of military force, (3) establishing a conceptual foundation for subordinate joint and Service concepts, and (4) motivating and guiding the study, experimentation and evaluation of joint concepts and capabilities."
United States. Joint Chiefs of Staff
2009-01-15
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Real Property: Infrastructure Investment Presents Opportunities to Address Long-standing Real Property Backlogs and Reduce Energy Consumption, Statement of Terrell G. Dorn, Director, Physical Infrastructure Issues, Testimony before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives
This is a GAO testimony of Terrell G. Dorn, Director of Physical Infrastructure, who testified before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the issue of Infrastructure Investment. More specifically, Mr. Dorn states the following in his opening statement: "We welcome the opportunity to testify on infrastructure investment in federal buildings, including energy-saving opportunities in federal building construction and repair and alteration projects. Federal agencies have identified billions of dollars in reinvestment requirements to maintain their aging facilities and bring them up to current standards. In addition, according to Department of Energy (DOE) estimates, federal agencies will need over a billion dollars annually through 2015 for projects needed to meet congressional energy efficiency goals. As the nation's single largest energy consumer, the federal government spent approximately $17 billion in fiscal year 2007 on energy use in buildings and vehicles. This total represents almost 1 percent of all federal expenditures for 2007, and these costs have risen in recent years. Our testimony today discusses the potential benefits that may accrue from infrastructure investment, including energy reductions within federal buildings, and principles that could help guide infrastructure investment. Our comments are based on our body of work on repair and maintenance and energy management issues associated with federal real property. A list of our related products appears at the end of our statement."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2009-01-22
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Department of Homeland Security: Billions Invested in Major Programs Lack Appropriate Oversight, Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives
"In fiscal year 2007, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) obligated about $12 billion for acquisitions to support homeland security missions. DHS's major investments include Coast Guard ships and aircraft; border surveillance and screening equipment; nuclear detection equipment; and systems to track finances and human resources. In part to provide insight into the cost, schedule, and performance of these acquisitions, DHS established an investment review process in 2003. However, concerns have been raised about how well the process has been implemented-particularly for large investments. GAO was asked to evaluate DHS's implementation of the investment review process, and assess DHS's integration of the investment review and budget processes to ensure major investments fulfill mission needs. GAO reviewed relevant documents, including those for 57 DHS major investments (investments with a value of at least $50 million)-48 of which required department-level review through the second quarter of fiscal year 2008; and interviewed DHS headquarters and component officials. GAO is making several recommendations aimed at better ensuring DHS fully implements and adheres to its investment review process, including tracking major investments and better integrating oversight results with budget decisions. DHS generally concurred with these recommendations."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2008-11
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Roundtable on a National Framework for Natural Hazard Risk Reduction and Management: Developing a Research Agenda, Summary Report
"This report summarizes discussion at the Roundtable on a National Framework for Risk Reduction and Management held on November 15, 2006, at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. The Roundtable was co-sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Association of American Geographers (AAG), and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Comments made by speakers not affiliated with the USGS do not necessarily reflect the positions of the USGS. The purpose of the day-long Roundtable was to bring together academic, business, and government leaders to advance a research agenda on improving decision-making to reduce and manage the risks of natural hazards. The Roundtable addressed predicted behavior and incentives at both the national and the local levels and sought to develop a research agenda to achieve the following broad goals: advancing the use of scientific information to reduce societal vulnerability and risk from hazards; and identifying how spatial data can most effectively enable and empower decision-making at the local, state, and national levels."
Geological Survey (U.S.)
Kempthorne, Dirk, 1951-; Meyers, Mark D.
2007
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Office of Justice Programs Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative Funding Received by San Mateo County, California. Executive Summary.
"The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative (SWBPI) funding awarded by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to San Mateo County (San Mateo), California. As of April 17, 2008, San Mateo had received SWBPI funding totaling $1,520,999. […] The objective of our audit was to determine if the SWBPI reimbursements received by San Mateo were allowable, supported, and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and terms and conditions of the SWBPI. We found that all of the cases San Mateo claimed and was reimbursed for were ineligible under the SWBPI guidelines. Specifically, San Mateo received unallowable reimbursements totaling $1,520,999 for 1,076 cases submitted because they were not federally initiated."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2008-08
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Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World
"Global Trends 2025 is the fourth installment in the National Intelligence Council-led efforts to identify key drivers and developments likely to shape world events a decade or more in the future." "We prepared Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World to stimulate strategic thinking about the future by identifying key trends, the factors that drive them, where they seem to be headed, and how they might interact. It uses scenarios to illustrate some of the many ways in which the drivers examined in the study (e.g., globalization, demography, the rise of new powers, the decay of international institutions, climate change, and the geopolitics of energy) may interact to generate challenges and opportunities for future decision-makers. The study as a whole is more a description of the factors likely to shape events than a prediction of what will actually happen. By examining a small number of variables that we judge probably will have a disproportionate influence on future events and possibilities, the study seeks to help readers to recognize signposts indicating where events are headed and to identify opportunities for policy intervention to change or lock in the trajectories of specific developments. [...]. For example, the report's examination of the transition out of dependence on fossil fuels illustrates how different trajectories will entail different consequences for specific countries. An even more important message is that leadership matters, no trends are immutable, and that timely and well-informed intervention can decrease the likelihood and severity of negative developments and increase the likelihood of positive ones."
United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence
2008-11
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'Drug-Resistant Infections in the Community: Consequences for Public Health,' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, November 7, 2007 [video]
This is a video broadcast of the House Committee of Oversight and Government Reform's hearing, which examined "the public health consequences of infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outside of hospitals and other healthcare settings, including the measures people can take to reduce the risk of MRSA infections and what these infections tell us about the public health challenges in addressing such infections."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (2007-)
2007-11-07
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Privacy Impact Assessment for the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS)
"CBP is issuing a Final Rule to amend regulations governing the submission of Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) data to include private aircraft. CBP is publishing a revised PIA and a revised associated System of Records Notice to include these final changes with its existing APIS privacy notices. The previous System of Records Notice for the APIS system was last published at 72 FR 48349, August 23, 2007. On September 18, 2007, CBP published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register (72 FR 53393) proposing amendments to CBP regulations concerning the advance electronic transmission of passenger and crew manifests for private aircraft arriving in and departing from the United States, commonly referred to as APIS. A PIA update was published on the DHS web site at the same time discussing the impact of the notice of proposed rule. To implement the statutory mandates provided by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act of 2001 (ATSA) and the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Reform Act of 2002 (EBSA), CBP, a component within the Department of Homeland Security, currently collects from commercial carriers personally identifying information about passengers and crew members traveling by air or sea, and arriving in, departing from, (and, in the case of crew, flights overflying or continuing domestically within) the United States."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Privacy Office
2008-11-18
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Inspection Report: Protective Force MK-19 Grenade Launcher Use at the National Nuclear Security Administration's Pantex Facility
The Office of Inspector General received allegations that the MK- 19 40 millimeter Grenade Launcher (MK- 19), procured for Pantex, was being utilized by protective force officers who (I) lacked adequate training on the weapon, to include night training and the firing of operational ammunition, and (2) had limited access to a training simulation system and that this simulation system was inoperable at the time. We initiated an inspection to review the facts and circumstances surrounding these allegations. Our inspection substantiated the allegations and identified concerns with equipment, training, and qualification regarding the MK-19 at Pantex. […]We made several recommendations to management designed to enhance MK-19 training and use at Pantex. […] In responding to our draft report, NNSA disagreed with our findings and recommendations. […]Department facilities utilize protective forces as part of thcir protection strategy. […] Recently, DOE sites have procured military weaponry to gain increased capabilities in countering thc potential of a more robust and capable threat. […] As part of our inspection activities, we reviewed a May 2006 DOE Independent Oversight Safeguards and Security Inspection report of the 'Pantex Plant and the Pantex Site Office,' which cited findings and opportunities for improvement related to the MK- 19. We also reviewed management's Corrective Action Plan (CAP) associated with the report, which indicated that the report's findings were the result of 'inattention to detail,' and closed the matter with a plan to 'Implement [an] approved qualification range.' The Office of Health, Safety and Security (HSS) subsequently found this CAP to be responsive in addressing the MK-19 related findings in the inspection report. However, during the course of our inspection fieldwork, we observed that multiple conditions similar to those previously identified by HSS continued to exist at Pantex."
United States. Department of Energy. Office of Inspector General. Office of Inspections and Special Inquiries
2007-07
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President Bush Attends APEC CEO Summit 2008 [November 22, 2008]
This document is a White House Press Office transcript of President Bush's November 22, 2008 speech in Lima, Peru where he discusses the economics and free markets before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting.
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
2008-11-22
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Committee Print 110-12: Building Language Skills and Cultural Competencies in the Military: DOD's Challenge in Today's Educational Environment
"There is no doubt that foreign language skills and cultural expertise are critical capabilities needed by today's military to face the challenges of our present security environment. But, only a small part of today's military is proficient in a foreign language and until recently there has been no comprehensive, systematic approach to develop cultural expertise. This serious national security challenge led the Subcommittee to examine what the Department of Defense is doing to address the need for these capabilities. The military's lack of language skills and cultural expertise is a symptom of the larger problem facing the nation as a whole. As we heard in our hearings, our educational system does not place a priority on, and lacks the infrastructure to support, the widespread teaching of foreign languages, not to mention the less commonly taught languages needed by today's force. […] We found that the Department and the Services have undertaken numerous initiatives, but we are left with several important questions. For example, the Department set a goal of creating foundational language and cultural skills in the force. Yet, the Services' primary efforts appear to be far more aimed at developing a culturally aware force than a linguistically capable one. The difference between the Department's goal and the Services' approach calls into question whether the two even agree on what they are trying to accomplish. The Department must work even more closely with the Services to achieve a common understanding of the language skills needed in today's force."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services
2008-11
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Highway Safety Improvement Program: Further Efforts Needed to Address Data Limitations and Better Align Funding with States' Top Safety Priorities, Report to the Ranking Member, Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senate
This report published by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) examined the nation's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). More specifically, according to GAO, "about 43,000 people died and another 290,000 were seriously injured on the nation's roads in 2006. To reduce these numbers, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) nearly doubled funding for the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). SAFETEA-LU added requirements for states to develop strategic highway safety plans that include four key elements and to publicly report on at least the top 5 percent of hazardous locations on all of their public roads. The act also set aside funds for a legacy rail-highway crossing program and a new high-risk rural road program. As requested, GAO examined states' implementation of HSIP following SAFETEA-LU, HSIP results to date, and FHWA's guidance and assistance to states. GAO analyzed plans from 25 states, including 19 randomly selected states and 6 states that GAO visited. GAO also interviewed FHWA and state safety officials." Finally, GAO recommends that "Congress should consider revising HSIP's flexible funding and rail-highway crossing provisions to better align HSIP funding with states' top safety priorities and eliminating the 5 percent reporting requirement. GAO also recommends that FHWA set a deadline for states to obtain the roadway inventory data."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2008-11
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Department of Defense Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 08-046: Directive-Type Memorandum (DTM) 08-046 - Precedence for Official and Unofficial Travel on Government Aircraft
"This DTM revises outdated DoD policy contained in Reference (a) regarding required use travel by senior DoD officials on U.S. Government aircraft. This DTM is effective immediately and remains in effect until approval of a revision to Reference (a), which should be completed within 60 days. This DTM applies to OSD, the Military Departments, the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Chiefs of the Military Services, the Combatant Commands, and all other organizational entities within the Department of Defense."
United States. Department of Defense
2008-11-07
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Follow Up Audit on the Office of Justice Programs Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative Funding Received by the City and County of San Francisco, California. Executive Summary.
"The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, previously completed an audit of the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative (SWBPI) funding awarded by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to the City and County of San Francisco (San Francisco), California, and issued a final report in November 2007. The objective of our prior audit was to determine if the SWBPI reimbursements received by San Francisco were allowable, supported, and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and terms and conditions of the SWBPI. [...] San Francisco provided a total of 134 cases that it believed were eligible for maximum SWBPI reimbursements totaling $1,170,000 under the "both" prosecution and pretrial detention reimbursement category. However, San Francisco acknowledged that the OIG would apply the quarterly pro-rata rates to the maximum reimbursement for all cases determined to be eligible. We found that San Francisco was able to provide support for allowable SWBPI reimbursements totaling $522,957. As a result, San Francisco must repay the remaining $2,528,192 in unallowable SWBPI reimbursements as shown in the following table."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2008-10
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Office of Justice Programs Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative Funding Received by San Benito County, California. Executive Summary.
"The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division, has completed an audit of the Southwest Border Prosecution Initiative (SWBPI) funding awarded by the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to San Benito County (San Benito), California. As of April 15, 2008, San Benito had received SWBPI funding totaling $397,984. […] The objective of our audit was to determine if the SWBPI reimbursements received by San Benito were allowable, supported, and in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and terms and conditions of the SWBPI. We found that all of the cases San Benito claimed and was reimbursed for were ineligible under the SWBPI guidelines. Specifically, San Benito received unallowable reimbursements totaling $397,984 for 103 cases submitted because they were not federally initiated."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General
2008-10
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Planning Update IV, A Report from Secretary Michael O. Leavitt [July 18, 2007]
This Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report provides an update on pandemic planning for among other challenges as the H5N1 virus. The report also has information on monitoring and surveillance, vaccines and vaccine production capacity, antiviral drugs, state and local preparedness, and communications. "HHS has worked closely with Federal, State, tribal, and territorial communications specialists to develop plans that will help guide the public, the news media, health care providers, and other groups to respond appropriately in outbreak situations and to encourage people to follow the necessary public health measures. A government-wide public health emergency communications plan is now ready to activate in the event of a pandemic."
United States. Department of Health and Human Services
Leavitt, Michael O.
2007-07-18
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President Bush Attends Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives' National Conference [June 26, 2008]
This document is a White House Press Office transcript of President Bush's June 26, 2008 speech at the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives' National Conference in Washington, D.C.
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
2008-06-26
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Department of Homeland Security, Annual Performance Report Fiscal Years 2008-2010
"This is the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Annual Performance Report (APR), which is the third report issued for those Federal Agencies participating the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) performance and accountability report pilot. In this report you will find the performance results achieved compared to our targets for Fiscal Year (FY) 2008. You will also find our proposed performance measures and associated targets for FY 2009. The FY 2010 program resources and performance measure targets will be published in an updated version of this report released with the FY 2010 President's Budget and the DHS Congressional Budget Justification documents. The results presented provide insight how well the sixty-five mission-oriented programs in the Department are doing in meeting their performance targets, along with how these collective efforts result in achievement of our Department strategic goals and objectives. As required by the Government Performance and Results Act, the report also provides detailed information on all the performance measures that were part of the DHS FY 2008 Annual Performance Plan."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer
2009-01-15
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Financial Crimes Enforcement Network: Annual Report Fiscal Year 2008
This document is the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's annual report for fiscal year 2008. This report contains a message from the director, information and history, the bank secrecy act reporting in FY2008, accomplishments and performance measures, principles, organizational units and executive officials, FY2008 publications and reports, program evaluations, budget and oversight, and information regarding key partners.
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (U.S.)
2009
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Hurricane Wilma Activities for City of Boca Raton, Florida
This document presents the results of an audit performed by the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) which focused on "disaster costs associated with Hurricane Wilma activities for the City of Boca Raton, Florida. The objectives of the audit were to determine whether the city was properly accounting for disaster-related costs and whether such costs were eligible for funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) disaster assistance programs."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2008-12-08
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Brick by Brick: The Strategic Re-Building of the Public Health Infrastructure
"The public health infrastructure in the United States has eroded unnoticed; however, the tragic events of September 11, 2001 highlighted the need for a robust public health system. Homeland security funding and the Department of Homeland Security's strategic goals have directly impacted the rebuilding of the public health system. While numerous improvements have been made which would directly affect the nation's ability to respond to a public health emergency, such as the implementation of disease surveillance programs, the fostering of interagency cooperation, and the development of the Medical Reserve Corps, these improvements are also useful during routine incidents. The creation of a strong public health infrastructure will help protect the public from homeland security threats but will also protect them from everyday hazards. The ability to strengthen the nation's response to everyday hazards, while having the ability to scale-up a response for a national emergency, is the most critical aspect of the success of homeland security programs and funding."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Allen, Meredith
2008-08
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Reducing the Risk
"The effective use of rhetoric in communicating public policy cannot be overstated. In democratic governments, elected officials must be able to accurately and (equally as important) concisely convey their actions in a way that explains both the problem and solution. Since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, the department's mission has sometimes been difficult to understand. What the government is doing to protect its citizens from terrorism, and how the government is doing it, is something few people can articulate. Not until recently has the administration found the proper rhetorical tools that explain both the challenges the nation faces with respect to terrorism and how the government is addressing those challenges. As will be shown below, the concept of 'reducing the risk,' more than any other aspect of homeland security policy, will be critical in guiding the actions of policy makers for years to come."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Allen, Matthew M.
2008-08
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Ascendancy through Perception: the Importance of Dedicated Investment in Academic Homeland Security Research and Inquiry
"The events of September 11, 2001 forever altered America's perception of its own vulnerability and focused the entire nation upon the immediate and urgent objective to secure itself in such a way as to prevent such a dire tragedy from ever occurring again. But uncertainty remains a persistent product of such threats that defy precise clarity, threats that possess an inherent variability that defies any decisive quantification and evades resolution. This essay seeks to provide a rational basis by which investment in our nation's academic institutions of higher education and research will yield a definitive course of reasoned response. The application of a sustained academic expenditure remains a critical necessity. Knowledge and understanding - through academic research and inquiry - is our nation's best and most resolute endeavor."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Gardella, William
2008-08
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President Bush Holds Last Cabinet Meeting [January 13, 2009]
This White House Press Office document is a transcript from President Bush's last cabinet meeting held on January 13, 2009. "I want to thank an extraordinary group of American citizens who have served our country as members of my Cabinet. Everybody around this table here could have taken the easy road and stayed home and worried about their own comforts, but instead they answered the call to service. And the country is lucky to have folks like this step up and serve. I have thanked them here at my last Cabinet meeting not only for their service, but for helping President-Elect Obama transition. And we wish the President-elect and his team all the very best. It is our genuine wish that they do well. We also reviewed our record, and this administration has had a good, solid record. I'm very proud of it. I tell people I leave town with a great sense of accomplishment and my head held high. We reformed education and test scores for minority students are up. We reformed Medicare -- seniors have now got prescription drug coverage. We lowered taxes for everybody who pays taxes. We transformed our military to make it be able to deal more effectively with the threats of the 21st century. And the Secretary transformed the State Department so it can deal with the threats of the 21st century, as well."
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
2009-01-13
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U.S. Coast Guard's National Security Role in the Twenty-First Century
"This report addresses the Coast Guard's National security role in the next century by interviewing current and former policy & decision makers involved in the maritime aspects of national security. The report attempts to define the relationship between the Navy and the Coast Guard in the Post Cold War era when the requirements for the Coast Guard to act as Commanders of Maritime Defense Zones (MDZs) and to provide ASW capable cutters has been dramatically lessened. The author suggests the definition of national security needs to expand and that the Coast Guard provide increased support for US CINCS especially in security assistance and low order crisis response. The role of the US Coast Guard as the force manager/force provider for coastal patrol boats is also studied. The need for a viable national defense role for the Coast Guard is examined and the implications of a lack of a well-defined, needed role assessed."
Naval War College (U.S.). Center for Naval Warfare Studies
Stubbs, Bruce B.
1992-09-01
