A bill that would expand the ability of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) to collect information under geographic targeting orders (GTOs) to prevent money laundering for terrorist groups was recently introduced in the House by U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA).
The bill, titled... Read More »
Modernizing and replacing programs related to the United States nuclear triad is the first priority for both the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy, according to testimony from key defense officials at a recent House Armed Services Strategic Force... Read More »
A bill that would establish a process for federal, state and local governments to work together to manage the use of recreational and commercial drones was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
... Read More »
A leadership spot at the highest level in the United States government would be best positioned to harness and focus available resources and influence governors and the private sector on a common biodefense vision, a Texas A&M University (TAMU) international affairs expert said this... Read More »
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently approved a series of bills that would provide authorizations for the Coast Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Maritime Commission, among other provisions.
The first of six bills passed by the committee,... Read More »
A bill that seeks to address the rising costs of disaster recovery, provide additional support for first responders, and reauthorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the first time ever was recently advanced by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The... Read More »
As the third anniversary passes of the deadly Isla Vista, California shootings, which killed six people and injured 14 others, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced a bill that would allow family members to keep guns away from those who have a severe mental illness.
The Gun Violence... Read More »
A bipartisan bill that aims to strengthen the nation’s homeland missile defense reliability and capacity was recently introduced in the Senate.
The Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act was introduced by U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ted Cruz... Read More »
In the wake of the deadly bombing in Manchester, United Kingdom, which killed 22 people, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) introduced two separate bills that aim to prevent would-be terrorists from traveling in and out of Western countries undetected.
The first bill, the Strong Visa Integrity Secures... Read More »
In the wake of the international WannaCry ransomware attack, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) recently hosted a virtual conference with officials from affected countries to discuss mitigating actions to be taken.
The malicious software has reportedly infected more than... Read More »
Two bills that seek to improve law enforcement training and enhance information sharing in combating cyber terror threats were recently advanced by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017, authored by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe... Read More »
Officials with the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently signed an agreement to establish a joint Terrorist Financing Targeting Center (TFTC), which seeks to address new and evolving threats related to extremist financing.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said the... Read More »
The United States appears ill-prepared to deal with a Zika virus outbreak although the nation’s federal public health agencies have learned valuable information during the last few years about the disease, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says in a new report released on Tuesday to... Read More »
A bill that requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain an inventory of all sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs) was recently passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security.
The bill, titled the DHS Classified Facility Inventory Act, was authored by... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX) recently sent a public letter to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Acting Director Anne Schuchat, regarding the agency’s coordination efforts with Texas public health agencies to prepare for the heightened risk of Zika virus... Read More »
In the wake of the recent WannaCry ransomware attacks, U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced the Protecting Our Ability to Counter Hacking (PATCH) Act, which adds a layer of transparency and accountability to government procedures for retaining or disclosing... Read More »
A bill that addresses many of the staffing shortfalls seen at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stations was recently approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
The Boots on the Border Act was cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeff Flake... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) recently sent a public letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly requesting information regarding the department’s use of privately operated immigration detention facilities.
The senators’ concerns stem... Read More »
A bill that seeks to reduce wasteful spending on the nation’s outdated IT systems and enhance security by expediting the government’s transition to modern technology like cloud computing was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.
The bill, titled the Modernizing Government... Read More »
A bill to improve enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws by cracking down on sanctuary city policies was recently introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Raúl Labrador
(R-ID) and Bob Goodlatte (R-VA).
The Michael Davis, Jr. and Danny Oliver in Honor of State and... Read More »
A bipartisan bill to assist local fire departments in saving money and hire more trained first responders was recently introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME).
The Firefighters Retention Act of 2017 gives fire departments the ability to use Staffing... Read More »
In the wake of the international WannaCry ransomware attacks, U.S. Reps. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) recently called upon the House Homeland Security Committee to hold hearings on the cybersecurity posture of the nation’s healthcare and lifeline sectors.
The... Read More »
A bipartisan bill to help mitigate security risks of potential foreign government espionage by collecting beneficial ownership information prior to the federal government leasing buildings for high-security purposes was recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Peter King (R-NY).... Read More »
A bill to provide state and local law enforcement offices with tools to combat cybercrime recently advanced the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Strengthening State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act of 2017 was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX).
Ratcliffe’s bill authorizes... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), recently announced the availability of $6 million in funding for research in combating antimicrobial resistance.
The funds were authorized as part of the the 2014 Farm Bill and will be... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently called for a federal panel to recommend enhanced data security measures, such as the use of privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs), to protect sensitive personal information in a forthcoming report to Congress on evidence-based policymaking.
Wyden, in a letter... Read More »
The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently activated its Emergency Operational Centre in response to the recently-declared Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in order to develop a concept of operations for the emergency.... Read More »
To achieve a goal of global health security, the United States must extend its legacy as a global leader through forward-looking policies, international partnerships, and continued investment into innovate medical advancements, according to a recent report from the National Academies of Sciences,... Read More »
In a rare show of bipartisanship, members of a key House appropriations panel expressed opposition to the Trump administration’s proposed budget cuts for the National Institutes of Health, the main funding source for medical research in the United States.
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), the... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) recently introduced three separate bills intended to provide additional layers of protection for law enforcement officers across the country.
“My legislation stands for two simple propositions: First, America's law enforcement officers should be at least as well... Read More »
In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing held last week, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) heard testimony from Navy Adm. Mike Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command (Cybercom), on how a potential government shutdown could complicate Cybercom’s mission.
Kaine’s concerns stem from a recent... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken numerous steps to reduce the risk of avian influenza, but needs a plan to evaluate its efforts going forward, according to a recent report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
In preparing its report, GAO was asked to... Read More »
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently adopted and published a recommendation made by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP), concerning the use of PaxVax’s cholera vaccine, Vaxchora.
The recommendation, which was unanimously approved by the CDC’s... Read More »
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order last week, which aims to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) role in securing federal networks from potential cyberattacks.
“Our nation’s economic and national security rely on a safe, secure, and reliable cyber... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) recently sent a public letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai requesting information on the reported distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) cyberattack on the FCC’s website and the ability of the agency to defend... Read More »