Chairman Michael McCaul joined the Committee in 2005 as chairman of the Investigations Subcommittee, when the House of Representatives granted the Homeland Security Committee permanent status and in January 2013 he became Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. As Chairman his top priorities are to shield the homeland from the rising threat of terrorist and foreign fighters, to secure our borders, to enhance cyber defenses, to make the nation’s airport security-system smarter and more efficient, and to provide rigorous oversight of the Department of Homeland Security to ensure it is capable of carrying out its core mission of protecting the homeland.