Policy
Sen. Rounds expresses support for Singh’s Law
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) spoke out about his support of a bill that would bar aliens associated with a criminal gang and convicted of a crime from entering the United States. Singh’s Law was introduced earlier this year by Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin... Read More »
Sens. Rubio, Menendez question US-Saudi nuclear cooperation
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) forwarded correspondence Tuesday to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry seeking clarity regarding the nation's nuclear cooperation with Saudi Arabia. In the letter, Rubio and Menendez expressed concern and sought clarification about the... Read More »
Nonimmigrant visa applications decreased in 2017
The number of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) applications issue by U.S. State Department consular officers decreased in fiscal year 2017 to 880,000 after increasing annually from fiscal years 2012 through 2016, according to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. Applications... Read More »
Sens. Cotton, Jones introduce bill to create scholarship program for pilots
U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Doug Jones (D-AL) introduced a bill to create pilot scholarship programs for qualified members of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). The Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited (CAVU) Act is named after the renowned pilots' acronym to describe ideal... Read More »
DOD, Republic of Korea officials meet
Department of Defense (DOD) and Republic of Korea (ROK) officials met recently to discuss efforts supporting denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and ROK Minister of National Defense Jeong Keyong-doo said the session was on the heels... Read More »
Philippine, US, and Australian forces join for 35th Balikatan training exercise
A training exercise known as Balikatan is underway in the Philippines this week, assembling forces from the Philippines, United States and Australia to address a multi-faceted range of operations. Balikatan, which marks the partnership between the Philippines and United States specifically, is... Read More »
Rep. Fitzpatrick named to Helsinki Commission
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) was appointed to serve as a commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, or the Helsinki Commission. The Helsinki Commission, founded in 1976, was created to advance democracy and human rights through military, economic, and environmental... Read More »
FDA’s final rule ensures safer, better tests to detect anthrax-causing bacteria
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday issued a final rule that restricts both the use and distribution of Bacillus bacteria detection devices, which are prescribed to preliminarily identify and diagnose cases of anthrax and other infectious diseases. “The FDA plays a critical... Read More »
Smiths Detection wins $96.8M computed tomography contract from TSA
A $96.8 million computed tomography (CT) systems contract from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was awarded last week to Smiths Detection, Inc. The contract will cover the next five years, over which 300 CT systems and their affiliated equipment will be deployed at various... Read More »
FirstNet bolsters Mississippi ambulance coverage
A Mississippi-based ambulance company is espousing the benefits of partnering with the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to enhance communication and coverage. AAA Ambulance Service in Hattiesburg, Miss., subscribed to FirstNet to aid in connecting its 24-hour emergency and... Read More »
Training exercise aids disaster preparedness
Marine Corps Logistics Base personnel in Barstow, Calif., recently conducted a training exercise designed to enhance both man-made and natural emergency preparedness. The Exercise Haber Rail effort involved a simulated rail tanker car carrying thousands of cubic feet of chlorine gas... Read More »
AMO drug bust yields more than three tons of marijuana off Central American coast
A mission by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) seized more than three tons of drugs from a vessel off the coast of Central America last week. The drugs, estimated to be worth $17 million, were plucked from a moderately-sized, open-bed fishing... Read More »
Republican senators urge budget committee leaders to support defense funding request
A group of Republican U.S. senators sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Budget Committee expressing their support for the $750 billion defense request in President Donald Trump’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget. The senators – including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Marsha... Read More »
Agencies conduct large-scale active shooter drill at LAX
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) recently led other agencies in conducting an active shooter drill at the airport's Terminal 4. The CBP's Office of Field Operations at LAX joined forces with other federal and local law enforcement... Read More »
Iowa governor declares public health disaster from flooding
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared a public health disaster emergency for the state following the widespread flooding and flash flooding that began March 13. The declaration authorizes the Iowa Department of Public Health to take the necessary actions to protect the public’s health. It also... Read More »
Rep. Katko introduces bill to create cybersecurity advisory committee
Rep. John Katko (R-NY) introduced legislation to create a cybersecurity advisory committee to help fight cyberattacks. The Cybersecurity Advisory Committee (CSAC) would be comprised of cybersecurity professionals from every major business sector that are responsible for protecting... Read More »
Ellsworth AFB to house first B-21 bomber
Air Force officials have selected Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to house the first operational B-21 Raider bomber and its formal training unit. Officials also noted Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and Dyess AFB, Texas, will receive B-21s as they become available. "These three bomber bases are well... Read More »
Legislation would work to prevent domestic terrorism
A U.S. Senate bill aims to address the growing threat of white supremacists and other violent right-wing extremists by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess this threat and provide training and resources to officers. The bill, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act,... Read More »
Senate bill would allow state, local law enforcement to easier detect drugs
A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would equip state and local law enforcement with high-tech devices to detect dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The legislation – called the Providing Officers with Electronic Resources (POWER) Act -- would create a new grant program through the U.S.... Read More »
Sen. Tester visits southern border to discuss border security, law enforcement
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) recently visited McAllen, Texas, to assess the situation along the southern border, meeting with law enforcement officials, landowners, agriculture producers, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. Challenges and resources needed to secure the border in a... Read More »
Military funding transfer spurs DOD inquiry
A group of lawmakers recently questioned the Department of Defense's transfer of $1 billion in military personnel funding to an account designated for border wall funding. Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on... Read More »
Hawaii Gov. Ige appointed co-chair for Council of Governors
The White House appointed this week Hawaii Gov. David Ige as one of the two newest co-chairs of the Council of Governors. Ige, along with his nine other council colleagues appointed this year, will serve a two-year term in their positions. “Hawai‘i is home to the U.S. Indo-Pacific... Read More »
DHS Secretary Nielsen meets with Central American leaders to discuss immigration, border security
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen met this week with senior officials from Mexico and other central American nations to discuss border security and immigration. On March 26, Nielsen met with Mexican Secretary of the Interior Olga Sanchez Cordero and other senior Mexican... Read More »
Legislation would provide military firefighters with blood tests for chemicals
A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House would provide blood testing for military firefighters who were potentially exposed on the job to toxic chemicals. The Protecting Military Firefighters from PFAS Act would test for per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances during annual physicals... Read More »
US Missile Defense Agency tests new “kill vehicles” to destroy ICBMs
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency tested two Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicles (EKV), which destroyed a threat representative intercontinental ballistic missile during a test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System (GMD). One EKV intercepted the target and the other gathered test data in what is... Read More »
Authorities seize $28.5M cocaine shipment
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and Coast Guard personnel recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle 2,513 pounds of cocaine valued at $28.5 million. Authorities arrested three Dominican Republic aliens found operating the vessel. Bales of narcotics were... Read More »
GAO finds limitations in DHS border security reporting, calls for improved quality
In an assessment of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) annually required reporting on 43 measures of border security effectiveness, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found data limitations and issues with statistical models. It should be noted: most of what GAO... Read More »
Cocaine seized at Philadelphia port
A multi-agency examination of shipping containers at the Area Port of Philadelphia discovered more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine on March 19. The cocaine, weighing 1,185 pounds, was discovered in a shipping container commodity of natural rubber from Guatemala. The narcotics have a street value... Read More »
Navy officials urge lethality, culture of excellence
While addressing the recent Commander’s Training Symposium (CTS), Navy Vice Adm. Richard Brown urged leaders to transition readiness into lethality, reinvigorate mission command and drive toward a culture of excellence. “Driving to a culture of excellence is not a top-down management... Read More »
SAFETY Act building guidelines available
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI) have helped develop guidelines to aid building owners with operations evaluations. The entities have partnered with the National Institute of Building Sciences... Read More »
Government health officials meet Congress members
More than 80 local, state, and territorial health officials met Wednesday with Congress members with the goal of advocating for public health funding. The officials told Congress members that investing in public health agencies is critical to protect and promote health. Federal... Read More »
Rep. Thompson urges social media companies to remove terrorist content in wake of New Zealand attack
Following last week’s terrorist attack on two New Zealand mosques where the shooter live-streamed it on social media, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is calling on the CEOs of four major social media companies to immediately remove violent terrorist content. The request was sent to the CEOs... Read More »
AMO intercepts cocaine smuggling attempt
Air and Marine Operations (AMO) personnel are being credited with intercepting an international cocaine smuggling attempt in which the narcotics were valued at over $76 million. Authorities said officers patrolling the Eastern Pacific ocean aboard a P-3 aircraft detected suspects transporting... Read More »
Nielsen delivers State of Homeland Security address
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen delivered Monday the 2019 State of Homeland Security Address, which included operational challenges, the ever-changing security landscape and the department’s strategic plan. The address also included the department’s major... Read More »