Untangling the Web: Congressional Oversight and the DHS

Former Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH) and Former Speaker of the House and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Foley (D-WA) released a white paper calling on Congress to dramatically streamline its oversight of the Department of Homeland Security on Friday, Dec. 10, at CSIS. Rudman and Foley co-chaired a task force on congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, formed by CSIS in partnership with Business Executives for National Security (BENS). Reps. Christopher Cox (R-CA), chairman, House Select Committee on Homeland Security, and Bennie Thompson (D-MS), ranking member, Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee, House Select Committee on Homeland Security, were the featured speakers for the event. "Congress must untangle its dysfunctional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security or risk undermining that department's effectiveness in defending the nation against terrorism", the white paper concluded.