A Look Ahead: House Committee on Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, announced the following upcoming Committee events:
Tuesday, April 17
10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 17, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
The Honorable Paul N. Stockton
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense
and Americas' Security Affairs
Office of Undersecretary of Defense for Policy
U.S. Department of Defense
Mr. Ronald D. Vitiello
Deputy Chief
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Martin Vaughan
Executive Director, Southwest Region
Office of Air and Marine
U.S. Customs & Border Protection
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Major General John Nichols
Adjutant General
Texas National Guard
Chairman Miller on the hearing:
“Earlier this year the Administration transitioned the role and scope of the National Guard troops from serving on the ground and assisting the Border Patrol by serving as additional eyes and ears on the border - to an aviation-centered approach that provides aerial surveillance to the Border Patrol Sector Chiefs on the ground. Previous deployments of the Guard were used to provide time for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire new agents, grow, and enhance their own organic capabilities - thus begging the question: When the current Guard deployment ends later this year, will CBP’s aviation components be able to sustain the missions previously performed by the National Guard? My hearing will provide the opportunity to question witnesses from the National Guard, Department of Defense, and CBP on the effectiveness of the current deployment strategy and how that will support the goal of achieving operational control of the border. I believe that we need to have a long-term vision and whole-of-government approach to securing the Southwest Border that will replace the ad hoc application of resources that has, to date, epitomized our approach to border security.”
Subcommittee Hearing: Taking Measure of Countermeasures (Part 3): Protecting the Protectors
2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Panel I
Dr. J.D. Polk
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Office of Health Affairs
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Edward J. Gabriel
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Preparedness and Response
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Panel II
Chief Al H. Gillespie
President & Chairman of the Board
International Association of Fire Chiefs
Mr. Bruce Lockwood
Second Vice President
USA Council
International Association of Emergency Managers
Sheriff Chris Nocco
Pasco County (FL) Sheriff’s Office
Chairman Bilirakis on the hearing:
"This hearing is the third in a series conducted by the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications on the need for research, development, and acquisition of vital medical countermeasures and the preparation of plans to dispense and distribute those countermeasures in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. This hearing will provide Subcommittee Members with the opportunity to explore plans and strategies to ensure that emergency response personnel are protected in the event of such an attack, including through voluntary pre-event vaccination."
Wednesday, April 18
2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 18, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Transportation Security
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Panel I
Mr. John Halinski
Assistant Administrator
Office of Global Strategies
Transportation Security Administration
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Mr. Mark Koumans
Deputy Assistant Secretary
Office of International Affairs
Office of Policy
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Ambassador Hans G. Klemm
Economic Coordinator and U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
U.S. Department of State
Panel II
Mr. Gary Wade
Vice President, Security
Atlas Air Worldwide, on behalf of the Cargo Airline Association (CAA)
Ms. Dorothy Reimold
Assistant Director
Security and Travel Facilitation
International Air Transport Association (IATA)
Mr. Roger Dow
President and Chief Executive Officer
U.S. Travel Association
Chairman Rogers on the hearing:
"The Asia-Pacific region is an important partner to achieving U.S. economic growth and ensuring security of the global supply chain. The hearing is an opportunity to discuss with public and private sector witnesses how the U.S. can strengthen its ties with the Asia-Pacific region to help spur U.S. job growth, while improving security of travel and commerce."
Thursday, April 19
10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 19, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), Chairman
Invited Witnesses Include:
Panel I
Dr. Daniel M. Gerstein
Deputy Under Secretary for Science and Technology
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Dr. Huban Gowadia
Deputy Director
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Panel II
Ms. Jill Hruby
Vice President
International, Homeland and Nuclear Security
Sandia National Laboratories
Dr. Michael Robert Carter
Senior Scientist
National Ignition Facility and Photon Science Directorate
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Chairman Lungren on the hearing:
“Our hearing next week will examine the extent to which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is optimally leveraging the extensive national laboratory infrastructure to support homeland security research and development needs. The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate’s number one stated goal is to ‘deliver knowledge, analyses and innovative solutions that advance the mission of the Department.’ To help determine ways in which the DHS and Department of Energy laboratories are being utilized for this purpose, we will examine such questions as: Is the S&T Office of National Laboratories meeting its statutory intent as a cross-DHS coordinator for laboratory work? What process does DHS implement for prioritizing work to the national labs? Are the costs reasonable, and are there cost savings to be found? Is the existing laboratory capacity sufficient to meet the need, or is more building justified? Such oversight will allow increased insight into how S&T can work more efficiently under budget constraints to support the homeland security mission.”
Tuesday, April 24
Subcommittee Hearing: America is Under Cyber Attack: Why Urgent Action is Needed
2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 24, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Chairman
Witnesses To Be Announced
Thursday, April 26
2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 26, in 311 Cannon House Office Building
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chairman
Witnesses To Be Announced
***See www.homeland.house.gov for updates.
***Coverage note: All Committee on Homeland Security proceedings are webcast live at www.homeland.house.gov/live-video-feed.
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