NCJ Number
194414
Date Published
2002
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations of the Committee on Government Reform discusses the Nation's progress in enhancing homeland security to combat terrorism.
Abstract
The testimony discusses progress in enhancing homeland security through legislative and executive action prior to and after September 11th; presents the preliminary results of the U.S. General Accounting Office's (GAO's) work on integrating the efforts of all levels of government and the private sector into overall homeland security efforts; and discusses an approach that could be helpful in integrating governmental and private sector organizations into the Office of Homeland Security's (OHS's) planned national strategy. Regarding legislative and executive branch actions to enhance homeland security since September 11th, the President issued executive order 13228 to establish the Office of Homeland Security (OHS). The OHS plans to issue a national strategy in July 2002. In the interim, Federal agencies are implementing many homeland security initiatives, including planning to produce new vaccines against anthrax and expanding the existing smallpox vaccine stockpile; providing additional planning and training for State and local disaster response; and enhancing aviation, seaport, and border security. Legislative actions have included appropriation of approximately $19.5 billion for fiscal year 2002 and about $9.8 billion contained in a $40 billion emergency supplemental budget shortly after the September 11th terrorist attack. For fiscal year 2003, the President has requested approximately $37.7 billion for homeland security. GAO's ongoing work indicates that government and nongovernment activities are looking to the OHS for further direction on how to better integrate their missions and more effectively contribute to the overarching homeland security effort. Key Federal agencies do not have a broadly accepted definition of homeland security. This is necessary in order to avoid duplication of effort and gaps in coverage by identifying agency roles and responsibilities. The agencies also want to ensure that their organizations' unique missions are sufficiently factored in as the guidance is developed. Without a national strategy to guide their efforts, some agencies were not sure what else they should be doing beyond their traditional missions. Officials in State and local governments want funding relief and better access to threat information from the Federal Government. Private-sector entities have expressed a willingness to contribute to homeland security, but they are concerned about the potential for excessive Federal regulation. Once the national strategy is issued, Federal, State, and local government agencies and private-sector organizations must cooperate in the implementation of goals and objectives. A list of 47 related GAO products