Fixing the TSA FOIA Request Backlog with Risk Taking
There were about 160,000 unanswered FOIA requests in 2014, with the Department of Homeland Security accounting for 65%. The federal government has a culture of risk aversion, but there are four reasons why taking a smart risk in answering...
DetailsAfter TSA Fails IG Red Team Test, Accountability at DHS
As much as I like Mel Carraway, it is difficult to disagree with DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson's decision to reassign Carraway, the (now former) acting TSA Administrator. The news reports of an Inspector General (IG) investigation finding serious problems...
DetailsNominee to Head TSA Soon? Not Soon Enough
In advance of an oversight hearing on TSA by his subcommittee today, Rep. John Katko (R-NY) wrote to President Obama asking for the White House to fill the TSA Administrator's position "ASAP." DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said last week...
DetailsDHS Vacancies Need to be Filled – And It Should Not Be Too Hard
Last week’s Senate Commerce Committee announcement about an upcoming hearing on TSA’s FY16 budget request inferentially noted that the White House still had not sent the Senate a nominee to replace former Administrator John Pistole. The Commerce Committee has...
DetailsThat Was the Week That Was – The 2015 Version
March came in like a lion with a long list of news items, including Clinton e-mails, DHS funding and Boko Haram allegiance to ISIS. What could happen next?
DetailsDHS Inspector General John Roth on CBP UAVs
This morning, Tom Temin interviewed DHS Inspector General John Roth about the report his office issued, which severely criticizes the DHS CBP Office of Air & Marine’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for border surveillance purposes.
DetailsAfter DC Metro Fire, Questions About Interoperability
The recent fire in the Washington, DC, subway system that killed one passenger and injured more than 80 others reveals ominous signs for the Nation’s Capitol. Most concerning are reports that the Fire & Rescue Services radios did not...
DetailsObama MIA as Leaders Gather in Paris
On Sunday, after a terrorist attack that murdered a dozen French citizens, 4 million people gathered in Paris to stand together and say they would not be afraid. While leaders from around the world came to Paris to join...
DetailsHow TSA Changed its Public Reputation, Enhanced Security and Improved Employee Morale
In 2010, the Transportation Security Administration's public image was getting worse by the day. There were stories about long lines and less-than-professional interaction between agent and airline passenger. It was then that Administrator John Pistole came to TSA with...
DetailsDHS Inspector General Says CBP Drone Program is of “Dubious” Benefit
DHS Inspector General John Roth dropped a powerful present on the front doorstep of Customs and Border Protection on Christmas Eve. News of the report is just coming out this week. It is about time a DHS official questioned...
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