David Olive

Washington
,
Jul 21, 2010
 –
How many times must the story be told of the mal-effects from the mishmash of Congressional turf battles over the Department of Homeland Security before something is done? Today’s latest entry is a well-done NPR story (no, that isn’t redundant) entitled, “Who Oversees Homeland Security? Um, Who Doesn’t?“

It is past time for the Congressional leadership of both parties to act. If Congress really wants to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” from government programs, it can start in its own House (and Senate.) Make it a campaign pledge for Members running for re-election that they will eliminate the overlapping, duplicative and outright idiotic oversight structure that Congress currently imposes on DHS.

The American people have no problem with Congress holding DHS accountable – they just don’t want the Department charged with protecting us from bad people and bad things to be held hostage by 108 Congressional committees and subcommittees. It is past time to correct this problem.

This piece was originally posted on Security Debrief.