TOPICS
TOPICS
Chertoff will proceed with DHS reorganization
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will not delay plans to reorganize the department next month, despite relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region and a congressional investigation into the government's response to Hurricane Katrina.
Chertoff announced in July that he would rearrange the department by Oct. 1, saying he wanted to eliminate the directorate for emergency preparedness and response, which oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Under Chertoff's plan, a new emergency preparedness division would focus solely on preparedness activities, while FEMA would report directly to the secretary and be the "response" wing of the department.
"I think Hurricane Katrina underscores the need for an undersecretary for preparedness ... to focus on both man-made and natural disasters," Chertoff's spokeswoman said.
House Appropriations ranking member David Obey, D-Wis., and Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee ranking member Martin Olav Sabo, D-Minn., Monday sent a letter to the secretary asking him to indefinitely postpone the reorganization until Congress concludes its investigation into the hurricane response.
COMMENTS
- Although Mr. Chertoff's 2SR (Second Stage Review) of DHS rejected the idea of merging ICE and CBP, that idea is apparently still alive. The DHS OIG just released a report that had been requested by Congress, which found that there was no justifiable reason to separate the investigative and inspection functions of Customs and Immigration in the first place, and nothing good has resulted from this artificial split. In fact, demonstrable harm has occurred, many examples of which are cited in the report, and in postings to Gov. Exec. and other publications over the last few years. Senators Collins and Lieberman, among others, have indicated that the proposed merger is "not necessarily a closed issue within the Department...or with members of Congress", despite what DHS says. In addition, the Senate is questioning the qualifications of Mr. Chertoff's pick for Assistant Secretary for ICE, Julie L. Myers, during her confirmation hearings in Washington this seek. The law establishing DHS specified that the head of ICE should have AT LEAST five years management experience in law enforcement (this has already been ignored by DHS management, when it selected Michael Garcia as the first head of ICE). Senator George Voinovich was quoted as saying to Ms. Myers, "I'm really concerned about your management experience", and "I think we ought to have a meeting with Mike Chertoff...to ask him...why he thinks you're qualified for the job...because based on your resume, I don't think you are". Well, her most obvious qualification is loyalty to Mr. Chertoff, whom she once served as Chief of Staff when he ran the Criminal Division at the Justice Department. She is also the fiancee of his current Chief of Staff, according to media reports. Don't go away, this could get very interesting! GovExec.com reader Posted September 20, 2005 11:07 AM
- DHS did very poor planning & was very late in responding to Katrina, do not know how reorganization will overcome those difficiencies. DHS is nothing but an overmanned & bloated organization. Note whenever an appropriation for DHS is to be voted on, DHS just has uncovered a threat, they do not say what or where the threat occured but that they have prevented it. Reorganization will not solve a poorly run, conceived or managed organization. William G. Mahar Posted September 16, 2005 8:45 AM
- What this administration is about is command and control. Here is the new bright idea from DHS- Under Chertoff's plan, a new emergency preparedness division would focus solely on preparedness activities, while FEMA would report directly to the secretary and be the "response" wing of the department. We separate planning from responding and responding is going to be directly controlled by the DHS Secretaries office. So highly political appointees will still be controlling the emergency responses for the federal government. I have a much better idea. Reform FEMA into a Federal Emergency Management Commission where the only political hires are five commissioners and have a full staff and management of emergency management professionals. Model it after the NRC, SEC and FCC. GovExec.com reader Posted September 15, 2005 8:28 AM
