Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical Corrections Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

The Department of Homeland Security's mission is complex and diverse. Not only is DHS charged with preventing terrorism, but it is the lead Federal agency for emergency management, cybersecurity, and border, maritime, and transportation security.

Given the breadth of DHS' responsibilities, it is essential that its limited resources be aligned with its missions to meet the ever- challenging threat landscape. As such, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, or QHSR, which DHS is mandated to carry out every 4 years, is critical to ensuring that the Department is positioned to effectively carry out its multifaceted mission.

To date, DHS has issued two such reviews, as we have heard. Unfortunately, the Department's third is 16 months overdue. This legislation seeks to make refinements to the law to address weaknesses identified by the Government Accountability Office in the prior two reviews.

GAO, for example, emphasized that documentation of the review process is essential to ensuring the repeatability of the review process. Accordingly, H.R. 1892 requires that DHS retain and, when requested, provide to Congress certain documentation related to the QHSR.

H.R. 1892 also seeks to ensure more robust consultation with Homeland Security stakeholders, including State and local governments and academic institutions. H.R. 1892 ensures that DHS undertakes and documents a risk analysis to inform its policy positions.

This House unanimously approved this measure in both the 115th Congress and the 114th Congress; however, the Senate has, indeed, failed to act on the bill on both occasions.

Enactment of this bill will help chart a thoughtful path on how to align its resources with its mission and make the Nation more secure. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 1892.

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