Homeland Security Committee Clears Four Republican-led Bills

Statement

The House Homeland Security Committee cleared four Republican-led bills today: Rep. Michael McCaul's (R-Texas) H.R. 1158, the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2019, Rep. John Katko's (R-N.Y.) H.R. 2590, the DHS Overseas Personnel Enhancement Act of 2019, Rep. Mark Green's (R-Tenn.) H.R. 2589, the Unifying DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act, and Rep. Dan Crenshaw's (R-Texas) H.R. 2609, the DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2019.

"Each of these bills makes meaningful improvements to DHS, from improving our response to cyber incidents, to enhancing oversight of DHS foreign-based personnel, to establishing a homeland intelligence doctrine, to creating a DHS acquisition review board," Rogers said. "I thank Reps. McCaul, Katko, Green and Crenshaw for their leadership on each of these critical issues."

"When cyber-attacks occur, expertise at the highest level is needed," McCaul said. "Cyber Incident Response teams provide a coordinated, strong response that keeps our digital networks resilient and secure."

McCaul continued, "These teams operate as cyber first responders, mitigating damage and ensuring organizations are restored. I'm proud to introduce legislation that ensures DHS can foster collaboration between the private and public sectors. This will ensure our nation can continue to adapt to the constant changes in the cyber landscape."

"In the aftermath of 9/11, it was clear federal agencies tasked with protecting our homeland needed refined methods for collaboration. While some improvements have been made, there are still challenges with successfully sharing information," Katko said. "Additional improvements are essential to further mitigate terror threats and security risks. The DHS Overseas Personnel Enhancement Act of 2019 creates a more cooperative environment within DHS by examining the barriers to information sharing as it relates to counterterrorism efforts."

"As a former member of an Army special operations task force, I know the value of synchronized intelligence processes when on a mission," Green said. "That experience has prompted me to introduce this bill so that DHS can fulfill its very important mission to keep Americans safe."

"I take my role as a steward of taxpayer dollars very seriously," Crenshaw said. "H.R. 2609 injects accountability into a division of the Department of Homeland Security that desperately needs it. With a board overseeing these processes, acquisitions will be more efficient, effective and responsible. This is a win for the taxpayer and the Department."

H.R. 1158, the DHS Cyber Incident Response Teams Act of 2019 authorizes cyber incident response teams to help private and public sector organizations with cyberattack response and recovery. It passed the House by voice vote last Congress.

H.R. 2590, the DHS Overseas Personnel Enhancement Act of 2019 directs the DHS Secretary to brief relevant Congressional committees about DHS personal with primary duties outside of the United States and requires the secretary to submit a plan to enhance the effectiveness of personnel at foreign locations. It passed the House unanimously last Congress.

H.R. 2589, the Unifying DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act requires the DHS Chief Intelligence to establish a homeland intelligence doctrine for the department and aims to ensure that intelligence offices across DHS are sharing information and countering threats with a unified effort.

H.R. 2609, the DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2019 establishes a DHS acquisition review board to provide accountability in its major acquisition programs and ensure that problems are identified and addressed early.