McCaul Calls for Independent, Top-to-Bottom Review of DHS
Bipartisan “DHS Accountability Act” Necessary to Root Out Corruption, Waste and Mismanagement in a Troubled Department Vital to Protecting Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman of the Homeland Security Oversight, Investigations & Management Subcommittee, has introduced legislation to conduct an independent, top-to-bottom examination of deficiencies in Department of Homeland Security leadership and management structure. It follows five oversight hearings examining widespread corruption, low morale, inefficiency and waste of taxpayer dollars, and comes ten years since the inception of DHS. The bipartisan legislation is co-sponsored by Congressman Bill Keating (D-MA), the subcommittee’s Ranking Member.
"The simple fact is DHS is dysfunctional and there are doubts it can carry out its core mission of protecting the homeland," said Chairman McCaul. “At this moment, the department is a liability to our national security.”
"What's needed for DHS is a top to bottom management review because the current management team is not getting the job done," McCaul said. "Our hearings determined there is corruption, waste, duplication and abuse of power. These are all symptomatic of deeply rooted flaws in the department'smanagement. The problems are systemic, and I believe it will take a dedicated team of independent investigators to identify the root causes andrecommend changes."
What the Panel Will Do: The DHS Accountability Act of 2012 creates an independent 10-member advisory panel appointed by the legislative and executive branch to comprehensively assess DHS management structure andcapabilities. The Act requires the panel to make recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness.
The Act requires an interim report sent to Congress one year after the panel’s selection, with a final report due two years after its inception. The panel will possess subpoena power and the authority to conduct hearings and receive expert witness testimony. The panel’s budget of $5 million will be paid for with existing DHS funds with no additional cost to taxpayers.
The panel will be charged with, among other things, assessing the current structure of DHS and making recommendations to make it a leaner, smarter, more effective organization. It will also be responsible for ferreting out duplicative programs and offices.
“Although DHS remains a legacy agency, the fact that it is at many times the first line of defense during and after natural or man-made disasters makes its missionever more important and challenging. For this reason, our subcommittee has paid particular attention to any distraction from its core mission of protecting the homeland,” says Rep. Keating. “Unfortunately, the multiple indications of waste and duplication that we’ve examined in Committee and noted by The Government Accountability Office and DHS Inspector General cannot beignored. Now that we know of the areas of weakness, my colleague, Michael McCaul, and I have introduced this legislation to move toward action. The purpose of the bipartisan advisory panel will be to not merely examine examples of duplication or waste, but to work toward eliminating these instances andgetting DHS to focus on what is truly important, the safety and peace of mind of all our citizens.”
Subcommittee Findings (details attached): Chairman McCaul determined the necessity for the panel after a series of hearings and investigations concluded there is duplication, waste, corruption and misconduct within Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), as well as low morale department-wide.
"I've always believed that a public service is a public trust,” Rep. McCaul said. “While the vast majority of DHS employees are honest and hardworking, unfortunately the actions of a few bad apples taint the entire organization."
During a March 8 oversight hearing, former Virginia Governor James Gilmore III testified that 10 years after the 9/11 attack is a good time to do a management assessment of whether the structure of DHS is the best way to carry out the mission of protecting the nation. Gilmore chaired the Gilmore Commission, which assessed U.S. response capabilities to WMD.
DHS is the third largest department in the Federal government with more than 200,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $40 billion. Its transformation, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), is critical to achieving its homeland securitymission. However, excessive bureaucracy, waste, ineffectiveness and lack oftransparency have hindered its operations and wasted taxpayer dollars.
Since 2003, GAO has designated the transformation of DHS as high risk because the Department had to transform 22 agencies—several with major management challenges—into one department, and failure to effectively address the Department’s management risks could have serious consequences. To date, DHS remains on GAO’s “High-Risk List”. However, a comprehensive management assessment of the department has yet to be conducted.
Advisory Panel Makeup (10 Members)
2 members of differing political parties chosen by the Speaker of the House in coordination with the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
1 member chosen by the Minority Leader in the House in coordination with the Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee
2 members of differing political parties chosen by the Senate Majority Leader in coordination with the Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
1 member chosen by the Minority Leader of the Senate in coordination with theRanking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
2 members of differing political parties chosen by the President in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security.
1 member shall be the Comptroller General of the United States or designee.
1 member shall be the DHS Inspector General or designee.
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DHS Accountability Act of 2012: Recent Key Findings of the Oversight Subcommittee