Posted by Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute

Today, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) proposed a revision to its customs declaration regulations that will save returning U.S. travelers time and save the agency money while still maintaining security at our ports of entry.

The proposed update addresses when members of a family residing in one household and traveling together on their return to the U.S. may make a joint declaration for all members of the family. We anticipate that expanding the definition of “members of a family residing in one household” will reduce the amount of paperwork and time that CBP officers would need to review during inspection and, therefore, facilitate passenger processing. Streamlining this procedure is expected to result in more than $2 million in time savings annually and allow CBP officers to dedicate more attention to other admissibility issues and travelers that may pose threats.

CBP is proposing to expand the definition of the term “members of a family residing in one household” to include domestic relationships, which would allow more U.S. returning residents to file a joint customs declaration for articles acquired abroad. “Domestic relationship” would include foster children, stepchildren, half-siblings, legal wards, and other types of dependents. This definition would also include two adults who are in a committed relationship, including long-term companions and couples in civil unions or domestic partnerships where the partners share financial assets and obligations. Of course, “members of a family residing in one household” will continue to encompass relationships by blood, adoption, and marriage.

CBP’s mission is to facilitate legal travel in the U.S. while protecting our borders. By reducing costs, improving traveler processing, and more accurately reflecting relationships between members of the public who are traveling together as a family, we believe this rule update will assist CBP in delivering on its goal.

Posted by Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector Douglas A. Smith

Earlier this month, the Private Sector Office (PSO) coordinated DHS for a Day VIII, which brought together representatives from the business, academic, and non-profit communities to visit three DHS emergency operations centers.

The event was part of our efforts to increase public-private collaboration before, during, and after emergencies.  As part of the day, the group toured the National Operations Center (NOC), the Transportation Security Operations Center (TSOC), National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC), and the National Response Coordination Center (NRCC). These operations centers work together to coordinate resources and response during emergencies, and provide key analysis and decision making support to DHS leadership.

In addition to learning about DHS’ operational  response activities, the DHS for a Day participants were also briefed about the Situational Awareness Viewer for Emergency Response and Recovery (SAVER2), a mapping program that allows emergency management partners to quickly gather information  about critical infrastructure locations and demographic characteristics in an impacted area.  Participants also learned about FEMA’s Private Sector Representative in the NRCC, which allows private organizations to send representatives to the NRCC to provide input toward solving problems in emergency response.

Engaging the private sector and our many partners across the homeland security enterprise helps build a safer, more secure, and more resilient homeland. 

Posted by Michael Widomski, FEMA Public Affairs




Along with our partners at the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), we announced the creation of FEMA Corps, which sets the foundation for a new generation of emergency managers.  FEMA Corps leverages a newly-created unit of 1,600 service corps members from AmeriCorps’ National Civilian Community Corps who are solely devoted to FEMA disaster response and recovery.

The full-time residential service program is for individuals ages 18-24, and members will serve a one-year term including a minimum of 1,700 hours, providing support working directly with disaster survivors. The first members will begin serving in this August and the program will reach its full capacity within 18 months.

The program will enhance the federal government’s disaster capabilities, increase the reliability and diversity of the disaster workforce, promote an ethos of service, and expand education and economic opportunity for young people.

At today’s event, Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, remarked:

...[FEMA Corps], helps communities recover, it trains young people, helps them pay for college, and it doesn't cost taxpayers an additional dime. Whether you're a young person looking for work, a member of the community that's been hit by a flood or a tornado or just a citizen who wants your tax dollars to be spent as wisely as possible, this is a program you can be proud of. This is really government at its best.

And it's part of the president's larger vision for an America built to last. Today, so many of our young people have shown that they're willing to do their part to work hard, act responsibly and contribute to their communities. But in tough economic times, it's up to all of us to make sure that their hard work and responsibility still pays off.

We have to preserve what President Obama has called the basic promise of America, that no matter who you are, where you come from, you can make it if you try, if you fulfill your responsibilities and you make a contribution.

During the event, Secretary Napolitano described the program:

First and most important, it will help communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters by supporting disaster recovery centers, assisting in logistics, community relations and outreach, and performing other critical functions.

We know from experience that quick deployment of trained personnel is critical during a crisis. The FEMA Corps will provide a pool of trained personnel, and it will also pay long-term dividends by adding depth to our reserves -- individuals trained in every aspect of disaster response who augment our full-time FEMA staff.

Second, the Corps will help us make the best use of taxpayer funds as we bring in FEMA Corps members at a significantly lower cost.

Third, FEMA Corps will provide participants with critical job skills and training. Emergency management is a growing field, much larger than FEMA alone. The recent high school and college graduates entering this program will emerge with the training and the on-the-ground experience that provides a clear pathway into this critical profession.

And finally, this Corps -- it encourages and supports the ethic of public service tapping the energy and dedication to helping their communities that we see among so many young adults today. Many here today, myself included, know that a career in public service presents opportunities and rewards far beyond paychecks.

The new initiative will promote an ethos of national service and civic engagement by mobilizing corps members and community volunteers to provide critical disaster services. Once trained by FEMA and CNCS, members will provide support in areas ranging from working directly with disaster survivors, to supporting disaster recovering centers, and sharing valuable disaster information with the public.

Robert Velasco, Acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, spoke about this new chapter in national service:

By opening up new pathways in emergency management, this partnership will give thousands of young people the opportunity to serve their country and gain the skills and training they need to fill the jobs of today and tomorrow.  This is a historic new chapter in the history of national service that will enhance our nation's disaster capabilities and promote an ethic of national service while achieving significant cost savings for the taxpayer.

Deputy Administrator Serino discussed the importance of FEMA Corps:

People have asked, why is this important? Looking into the eyes of survivors, looking at communities that are devastated, having young people that can step up and help out in the time of a disaster who are trained will make a difference in people's lives. That's why we're doing this.

As we continue to move forward and we look for opportunities to be more efficient, to look for opportunities to get young people involved in government, to get young people involved in service to their country, [we] will make a difference. We've had the opportunity to work with CNCS in AmeriCorps in the past, and this is broadening that -- expanding it, so we have the opportunity to bring this talented, young, will-be-trained workforce to help our staff.

They are augmenting our reservists, augmenting our full-time employees. This will be an opportunity for us to strengthen our nation's disaster response capabilities, create pathways for young people and really help the ethos of national service.

Mayor Walter Maddox, Tuscaloosa, Ala. also attended today’s announcement, and from the perspective a mayor of a town still recovering from a major disaster last year, the mayor expressed his excitement about the new agreement:

This new partnership between FEMA and the Corporation for National and Community Service will be crucial in supporting cities, counties and states in their time of need.  I commend FEMA and CNCS for understanding that to effectively respond during a crisis, we have to extend beyond political, geographical and even bureaucratic boundaries to ensure all resources are made available to the citizens we serve.

To recap, the purpose of the program is:

• Strengthening the Nation’s Disaster Response Capacity: The partnership will provide a trained and reliable resource dedicated to support disaster operations, while enhancing the entire emergency management workforce.
• Creating Pathways to Work for Young People:  By providing training, experience, and educational opportunity, the partnership will prepare thousands of young people for careers in emergency management and related fields.
• Promoting an Ethos of National Service:  The partnership will strengthen our nation’s culture of service and civic engagement by mobilizing corps members and community volunteers to provide critical disaster services. 
• Modernizing Government Operations to Improve Performance:  By working together, CNCS and FEMA will advance the President’s management goals of working across government, managing across sectors, and promoting efficiency.

To learn more about the new program, visit the AmeriCorps website or our FEMA Corps page.

Posted by Secretary Janet Napolitano

Combating cyber threats is a shared responsibility that requires broad engagement – from government and law enforcement to the private sector and most importantly, members of the public. No country, industry, community or individual is immune to cyber risks. DHS plays a key role in this effort, both in protecting federal networks and assisting owners and operators of critical infrastructure to secure their networks through risk assessment, mitigation, and incident response capabilities.

Over the past several weeks, we have discussed the Administration’s cybersecurity legislative proposal and how the recently introduced bill by Senators Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller and Feinstein would provide the comprehensive tools we need to effectively address the full range of cyber threats facing our nation, while preserving privacy and civil liberties and respecting freedom, openness, and innovation.

This week, I participated in a cyber demonstration for senators hosted by Majority Leader Harry Reid to show how the federal government would respond to a major cyber incident and how legislative reform would enhance that response. Together with leaders from across the federal government, I discussed how a cyber attack on America’s critical infrastructure could have broad impacts by disrupting key resources, resulting in billions of dollars in economic loss and even potential loss of life.

This Administration believes in the innovation and expertise of the private sector. We will work with critical infrastructure owners and operators to ensure the adoption of cybersecurity practices and technologies that work best on their networks in order to achieve a baseline level of cybersecurity. As part of this proposed legislation, DHS will conduct targeted risk assessments in consultation with the private sector and others to determine which systems and assets are subject to the greatest and most immediate cyber threats. We will collaboratively define cybersecurity performance requirements for these national security, economically critical, or life-sustaining services.

This week’s cyber demonstration also illustrated how a stronger legal framework paired with stiffer penalties for cyber crimes and the removal of legal barriers to sharing information will protect the American public and the American economy.

All sides agree that federal and private networks must be better protected, and that information should be shared more easily, yet still securely. Both the Administration’s proposal and the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (S. 2105) would provide DHS with clear statutory authority commensurate with our cybersecurity responsibilities, while removing legal barriers to the sharing of information. As the Secretary of Homeland Security, I strongly support S. 2105 because it addresses the need, the urgency, and the methodology for protecting our nation’s critical infrastructure.

The time to act is now: we must improve cybersecurity coordination, strengthen our cybersecurity posture, and secure all elements of our economy against this serious and growing threat, while protecting privacy, confidentiality, and civil liberties. We look forward to continuing our engagement with Congress in the days ahead to reach agreement on a bill that will move the Nation forward.

Read about how the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 would enhance protections for the American public, advance government network security, and enhance protection of critical infrastructure.

Posted by Mark Weatherford, Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity

After spending a couple days last week with leading IT security experts at the RSA Conference in San Francisco, I returned to Washington jazzed about the innovative ideas that people are sharing to make cyberspace safer. Today, more than ever, our daily lives, economic vitality, and national security are interwoven through cyberspace. The vast array of IT networks and services enable worldwide communication, support the global economy, and allow greater access and transparency into government. While these benefits have become part of our everyday life, so too have the inherent risks from online theft, fraud, and attack, that come along from living in a networked world.

At RSA, some of the leading IT experts from government and industry came together to discuss cybersecurity issues facing nations across the globe.  What I found most exciting was seeing the very same entrepreneurial spirit that made this nation a global IT leader being applied to cybersecurity. While there is justified competition between companies and strong differing views on particular issues, everyone working toward the same goals for stronger security in cyberspace gives me great hope.

We in government rely on our strong partnerships with the private sector to innovate and develop the most effective tools and techniques for protecting our networks.  Conversely, the private sector relies on us in Washington to give them the tools they need.

Congress is now poised to act on cybersecurity legislation. We must balance private sector innovation with government accountability to protect the nation’s cyber networks, safeguard individual privacy, and enhance the reliability and resiliency of our critical infrastructure.

There will be debates about the legislative proposals in days and weeks ahead, but we owe the American public some basic upgrades to laws that enhance a safer cyberspace.

In cybersecurity, we deal with problems today that were hard to even imagine given the technological limitations we faced 10 years ago. We also know that the challenges we’ll see 10 years from now will be dramatically different from what we face today. In short, we need laws that allow the sharing of cybersecurity information through both formal and informal cyber exchanges where trust is the ticket to enter.

We need for Congress to pass legislation that allows innovative thinkers from both industry and government to come together quickly and share information that is relevant to cybersecurity. We also need for that legislation to mandate increased and more robust privacy oversight, including penalties for misuse of voluntarily shared information. I came back to Washington last week filled with hope that we can deliver all of this and more because we are all in this together.

We must deliver and we must act quickly. It’s time to be bold.  The troubling side of spending a week with some of the experts in the cybersecurity world is that when we compare notes on our views of the threat, we all agree that despite the firewalls and layered defenses, we are not always keeping intruders out. We need to continue to sharpen our response tactics and move even faster when an intruder gets inside to limit the damage and protect our information. That requires a fast, unified response between federal agencies and our private partners – which is where Congress can help.

Posted by Executive Director for Academic Engagement Lauren Kielsmeier

Today we announced the formation of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council (HSAAC), which consists of prominent university presidents and academic leaders. The HSAAC will advise Secretary Napolitano and other senior DHS leaders on several key issues related to engaging the academic community in our homeland security mission.

I look forward to working with the HSAAC to further the Department’s commitment to building, improving and leveraging relationships with the academic community. Their collective expertise will be greatly beneficial to the Department’s missions.

The HSAAC will provide recommendations and advice to the Department on issues related to student and recent graduate recruitment; international students; academic research; campus and community resiliency, security and preparedness; and faculty exchanges. The HSAAC will be chaired by Dr. Wallace Loh of the University of Maryland.

The group’s first meeting on March 20 in Washington, D.C. will be open to the public. For a formal announcement, see the Federal Register. 

Click here for the full list of HSAAC members.