The U.S. House of Representatives passed four bills on Monday to better provide homeland security.
The bills prevent foreign fighter travel to the U.S., improve airport security measures and improve internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) practices and reviews.
“We face an... Read More »
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) released his monthly assessment of terrorist threats facing the nation and our allies on Wednesday.
“This past month’s ISIS-inspired rampage in Orlando marked the deadliest terror attack in our homeland since 9/11,” McCaul... Read More »
The European Commission launched a new public-private partnership on cybersecurity on Tuesday that is expected to trigger $1.9 billion of investment by 2020.
The partnership is part of a series of a new initiatives to better equip Europe against cyber attacks and to strengthen the... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) pushed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Friday for an update on a local pilot program designed to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare for veterans.
The senators sent a letter to VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald... Read More »
The House Homeland Security Committee released a report on Wednesday regarding encrypted communications in the wake of the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Paris.
The report, titled “Going Dark Going Forward: A Primer on the Encryption Debate,” is the first congressional in-depth... Read More »
With the goal of improving U.S. threat preparedness, U.S. Rep. Daniel Donovan (R-NY), who serves on the House Homeland Security Committee, recently introduced legislation to help fight potential terror attacks in urban areas and in cyberspace.
Donovan recently introduced the Terrorist Asset... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY), along with other House members, was blocked by the Cuban government last week from entering the country to assess security risks associated with resuming air travel between the United States and Cuba.
The Cuban government signed an accord on Feb. 16 that will allow... Read More »
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet held a hearing on Tuesday to examine the progress of FirstNet, the first nationwide, high-speed network dedicated to public safety.
Chairman of the Subcommittee... Read More »
The United States Senate voted 58-38 on Wednesday to reject an amendment that would enable the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to more quickly obtain the electronic transaction records of suspected terrorists.
The amendment was offered by U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and John McCain... Read More »
The European Union (EU) Civil Liberties Committee endorsed a plan by the EU Commission on Tuesday that will systematically check all EU citizens entering or leaving the EU against wide and national security databases.
The plan, authored by Monica Macovei and approved by a vote of 48-6, also... Read More »
A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on Saturday found that the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) nuclear smuggling detection and deterrence (NSDD) program is addressing challenges but should improve its overall plan.
The full GAO report examined... Read More »
Legislation authored by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) was included in a comprehensive bill package on Friday aimed at combating domestic terrorism in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting.
The Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act, H.R. 5471, will seek to streamline domestic... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bill Nelson (R-FL) urged the president on Wednesday to reevaluate the Relative Risk Score Threat Level applied to the Orlando area so that it qualifies for funding under the Urban Area Security Initiative.
The two senators sent letters to the Obama... Read More »
The European Commission (EC) presented further steps on Tuesday to support member states in preventing and countering violent radicalization leading to terrorism.
The steps are part of the EC’s European Agenda on Security.
“Recent terrorist attacks have shown how some young Europeans... Read More »
INTERPOL recently conducted Operation Red Lotus, which seeks to build closer collaboration between immigration and police agencies by utilizing INTERPOL’s global policing capabilities to carry out enhanced passenger screenings.
Approximately 3.5 million passenger checks were conducted during... Read More »
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), along with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI), unveiled the House Republicans’ blueprint for security at home and abroad on Friday.
The blueprint is part of the House GOP’s “A Better Way” initiative, which outlines ideas to... Read More »
The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a Health Subcommittee markup on Tuesday, discussing the Strengthening Public Health Emergency Response Act, H.R. 3299.
"There is a clear role for the federal government to play in creating medical countermeasures and contributing to our nation's... Read More »
The Alliance for Biosecurity lauded the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday for recommending sustained funding in its FY 2017 appropriations bill for some essential medical countermeasures programs at the Department of Health and Human Services.
The... Read More »
The European Union (EU) Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee recently approved proposals concerning border security, migration and cooperation with other countries.
More than one million migrants arrived in the EU by sea in 2015, according to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. This... Read More »
Civil Liberties Committee Ministers of European Parliament (MEP) on Tuesday called for the addition of non-European Union (EU) nationals to the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS) that EU countries use to exchange information on the criminal convictions of EU citizens.
The... Read More »
Representatives from 21 Eastern European States voiced their support of awareness-raising efforts by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) during the first regional meeting on education and outreach early this month in Vilnius, Lithuania.
In total, 45 participants from... Read More »
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers sent a letter on Monday to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler asking how the FCC’s proposed rule on set-top boxes could affect cybersecurity.
The coalition included U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Tom Carper (D-DE), along with... Read More »
House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Tuesday urged the United States Senate to take action on two bipartisan bills aimed at reducing wait times at the nation’s airports.
The TSA PreCheck Expansion Act, H.R. 2343, was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) and passed... Read More »
The Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense on Wednesday applauded legislation advanced by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security to ensure that the U.S. is prepared for biological threats, including the Zika virus.
The National Biodefense Strategy Act of 2016, S. 2967, introduced by U.S. Sen.... Read More »
Ahmet Uzumcu, director general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), addressed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Conference on Weapons of Mass Destruction Arms Control Disarmament in Slovenia on Wednesday regarding security challenges facing the OPCW.... Read More »
The Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled “Examining H.R. 3299, Strengthening Public Health Response Act” on Thursday to examine legislation meant to better prepare the U.S. to fight biological threats.
The Strengthening Public Health Emergency Response... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) called upon the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to take action on his bipartisan TSA PreCheck Expansion Act, H.R. 2843, in order to address long security lines affecting many of the nation’s airports.
The TSA PreCheck program is a risk-based security model that provides... Read More »
The 44th International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) European Regional Conference is being held this week, with participants discussing the challenges posed by record numbers of migrants traveling to Europe.
Following the publication of the joint Europol-INTERPOL report on migrant... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called on Monday for an immediate surge in canine inspection units at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to help speed up long security lines at New York City airports.
“As the dog days of summer roll on in, airport security lines need to roll... Read More »
U.S. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) returned to the United States last week after visiting Egyptian leaders to discuss the growing presence of ISIS in the region and efforts to combat terrorist groups throughout North Africa.
“ISIS may be losing some ground... Read More »
The European Union (EU) Parliament approved a new rule on Wednesday allowing EU Police and Europol to soon be able to step up efforts in fighting criminal offenses and respond faster to threats.
The draft rules will strengthen Europol’s mandate to ensure that it is fully equipped to counter... Read More »
Bipartisan leaders from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on Monday sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz seeking information on the current status of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) nuclear smuggling detection and deterrence programs (NSDD).
“We... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) called for Congress on Monday to fully fund efforts to eradicate the emerging Zika virus.
Buchanan said that he supported an additional $1.9 billion in funding requested by the government to contain and eradicate the virus. His supports follows the rapid spread of... Read More »
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General Ahmet Üzümcü met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday to discuss a wide variety of issues pertaining to chemical weapons.
One of the main topics for discussion was the... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation - the Promoting Resilience and Efficiency in Preparing for Attacks and Responding to Emergencies (PREPARE) Act, H.R. 3583 - on Tuesday that would enhance the U.S.’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
The legislation was... Read More »