DHSThe Role of Congressional Oversight in Department Reform

By Julia Siegel

On Thursday, December 17, the Scowcroft Center’s Forward Defense practice and the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) hosted a panel of former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to discuss why now is the time to streamline congressional oversight of DHS. Furthering Forward Defense’s mission to craft sustainable, nonpartisan strategies that meet the complex security challenges of today and tomorrow, this event explored how fragmented congressional oversight impacts DHS and charted a path forward.

This event signified the next chapter of Forward Defense’s Future of DHS Project, which released Key Findings and Recommendations and a full report to inform the 2021 DHS leadership team on how to address key challenges faced by the department earlier this year. Forward Defense will also release Key Findings and Recommendations outlining actions for Congress to take in supporting DHS following Thursday’s event.

Atlantic Council Executive Vice President Damon Wilson launched the event, reflecting on the Future of DHS project as one with an “intimidating scope” but one of the “most cogent roadmaps” ever seen at the Council. Highlighting the opportunity to consolidate oversight when the 117^th Congress convenes in January, he introduced the leading voice on Congressional reform of DHS, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Bennie G. Thompson.

Chairman Thompson shared his experience with and the path forward for DHS with Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow and Future of DHS Project Director Tom Warrick. He characterized the DHS components as “a hybrid group that has never been given a real home,” with overlapping congressional jurisdictions and competing committee interests hampering the ability of DHS to achieve its mission. Chairman Thompson stated that the Committee on Homeland Security, which currently does not receive every homeland security bill that passes through Congress, should be given primary referral for all homeland security-related activity. According to Chairman Thompson, ideas on homeland security reform are generally bipartisan as “the core mission of homeland security has no political boundaries attached.” In his most recent homeland security bill, Chairman Thompson included provisions to create a senior-level law enforcement official in the department, improve employee morale, and minimize overutilization of acting secretaries, recommendations which accord with the Future of DHS Project recommendations. Chairman Thompson thanked Mr. Warrick for pulling together distinguished minds to investigate the future of DHS, stating that “[the Atlantic Council’s] leadership is absolutely important if [DHS reform is] to get over the finish line.”