DHS

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - House and Senate negotiators today reached agreement on the Fiscal Year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, paving the way for its final approval and delivery to the President for his signature. As the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, Congressman David Price (D-NC) was responsible for drafting and shepherding the bill through the House of Representatives and was one of the lead negotiators at today’s conference committee.

Today’s agreement resolved the remaining differences between the versions of the bill passed in the House and Senate.    » read more »

October 7, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) sweeping changes to the Immigration Detention System:

“I commend the Obama Administration and Secretary Napolitano for establishing new initiatives to begin reforming our nation’s broken immigration detention system,” stated Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “I pleased to see that DHS is taking the additional steps necessary to address these concerns.”    » read more »

October 1, 2009 -- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced more than $355 million in funding for more than a dozen airport security projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

“These state-of-the-art technologies will bolster security and increase efficiency for both travelers and employees,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Investing Recovery Act funds in these critical airport projects will create jobs in local communities while strengthening our efforts to guard against terrorism.”    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- The health and safety of the American people is the first priority of President Barack Obama. Since the novel 2009-H1N1 flu virus emerged in the United States during the third week of April, the President has received regular briefi'ngs and asked his Cabinet to spare no effort in addressing this national security challenge.    » read more »

August 27, 2009 -- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced new directives to enhance and clarify oversight for searches of computers and other electronic media at U.S. ports of entry—a critical step designed to bolster the Department’s efforts to combat transnational crime and terrorism while protecting privacy and civil liberties.

“Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States,” said Secretary Napolitano. “The new directives announced today strike the balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary to secure our borders.”    » read more »

August 26, 2009 -- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced more than $240 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for new in-line baggage handling systems at 10 additional airports across the country.    » read more »

New PSA Campaign Unveiled by HHS, DHS, Dept of Ed., and Sesame Workshop

September 1, 2009 -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Education (ED) and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, have teamed up to launch a new, national public service advertising campaign designed to encourage American children and families to practice healthy habits and to take steps to prevent the spread of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. The PSAs featured in this campaign can be viewed on www.flu.gov.    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama's major disaster declaration issued for New York.

Assistance for the State and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

* Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for repairing or replacing damaged public facilities, such as roads, bridges, utilities, buildings, schools, recreational areas and similar publicly owned property, as well as certain private non-profit organizations engaged in community service activities. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal disaster aid has been made available for New York and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of August 8-10, 2009.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said the president's action makes federal funding available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie Counties.    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON. D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that more than 1,200 national, regional, tribal, state and local businesses and organizations have pledged their support and joined the 2009 National Preparedness Month (NPM) Coalition. Non-member organizations are strongly encouraged to join before the start of NPM.

Led by FEMA's Ready Campaign and Citizen Corps, NPM is held each September and is designed to raise awareness and promote action surrounding emergency preparedness among citizens, businesses and communities.    » read more »

September 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate today marked the beginning of the sixth annual National Preparedness Month - focusing on becoming better prepared for and more resilient in the face of emergencies of all kinds.

"National Preparedness Month is about building a culture of personal preparedness and shared responsibility across our country," said Secretary Napolitano. "This month, we ask all Americans to visit Ready.gov to learn what they can do to help their families, businesses and communities stay safe during an emergency - whether it be hurricanes like Katrina, the fires we are fighting in California or pandemic influenza."    » read more »

August 28, 2009 -- Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today announced this year's homeland security grant awards to state agencies and communities across Colorado, providing $19.3 million to be administered by the Governor's Office of Homeland Security.

Over 80 percent of the funds awarded will go to counties and local jurisdictions throughout Colorado to support local first responders and homeland security initiatives. The funded projects will improve the state's preparedness for man-made or natural disasters.    » read more »

July 8, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) said today that reports of cyber attacks by North Korea are another example of why the United States needs to be better armed to fight these alarming 21st century security threats.

As chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, Sen. Carper has been pushing to increase protections against just such cyber attacks as those reported this week against U.S. and South Korean government websites.    » read more »

The Report Supports the Delegation’s February 2009 Letter Objecting to TSA’s Proposed Large Aircraft Security Program as Disproportionate with the Actual Threat

June 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Alaska Delegation responded today to a recent finding by the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security that General Aviation poses little risk to aircraft security.

In a report entitled “TSA’s (Transportation Security Administration) Role in General Aviation Security,” the Inspector General’s office concluded, “We determined that general aviation presents only limited and mostly hypothetical threats to security.”    » read more »

Also secures $3 million for cyber safety software

June 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week Senator Bob Bennett (R-Utah) a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, supported the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which included $800 million in funding for border security and $3 million for cyber security.

"I am pleased the Appropriations Committee senses the urgency in securing our nation's borders and providing our patrol agents with the tools they need to make sure our country and citizens remain safe," said Bennett. "Utahns can rest assured that we are doing everything we can in Congress to provide the highest security to every American."    » read more »