U.S. Policy
New relief and border support efforts could be available to Florida and Puerto Rican communities hit by hurricanes last year if a new bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) gains traction.
The Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Border Security and Disaster Relief Act of 2019... Read More »
Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate last week would prohibit
commercial users of facial recognition technology (FR) from collecting and
sharing consumer data without their consent.
The Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act of 2019 was
co-sponsored by Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Brian... Read More »
Several states are grappling with how to handle current public health threats around the re-emergence of measles just as they also continue efforts to end the ongoing tuberculosis (TB) epidemic.
Both threats came up during discussions at the March 14 hearing, entitled the “Review of the Ebola... Read More »
The United States is struggling to support the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other partners in fighting what has become the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak, federal public health officials on Thursday told members of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a series of recommendations to aid agencies in identifying critical workforce needs and categorize IT and cyber-related positions.
The analysis, which resulted in 28 recommendations, stemmed from having a qualified, well-trained... Read More »
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced Wednesday a pair of measures designed to address small cybersecurity threats.
The SBA Cyber Awareness Act would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to develop a cyber... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently crafted legislation designed to enhance Internet-connected devices cybersecurity.
The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 is being introduced in the Senate by Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner(R-CO), co-chairs of the Senate... Read More »
Reps. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently introduced a bill reclassifying 9-1-1 dispatchers in the Office of Management and Budget Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) catalog to ensure classification standards place public safety first.
The 911 Supporting... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) warned this week that President Donald Trump’s 2020 budget proposal not only neglects but actively undermines investments necessary to maintain immediate and long-term responses to infectious disease threats.
The organization lauded the $58... Read More »
The U.S. Air Force will see a $10
billion budget increase in fiscal year 2020 under the White House spending plan
unveiled this week.
With the proposed increase, the Air
Force’s budget would rise to $165 billion in fiscal year 2020, which begins
Oct. 1, 2019. It includes funding for new... Read More »
Citing ongoing violence, deteriorating security, and humanitarian crisis circumstances, a group of lawmakers recently requested that the Trump Administration designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) joined Dick Durbin... Read More »
Several U.S. senators are asking federal security officials
to review the Trump Administration’s compliance with security clearance
policies and procedures.
This request comes following reports that President Donald
Trump ignored objections from White House Counsel Donald McGahn and Chief... Read More »
As a means of targeting gangs and violent crime, a pair of North Carolina lawmakers are advocating additional funding for the Middle District of the state's U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Richard Burr (R-NC) recently forwarded correspondence to Jim Crowell, director of... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) officers in Laredo, Texas, recently intercepted an alleged cocaine smuggling effort yielding a $109,000 forfeiture.
The March 5 seizure at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge stemmed from a CBP officer referring a... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a bill to support the U.S. government’s efforts to reduce violent extremism and address global fragility.
The Global Fragility Act requires the Secretary of State, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a measure designed to combat Russian influence while creating economic opportunities at home and abroad.
Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) said the European... Read More »
Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently introduced the Anti-Border Corruption Improvement Act, which she said is designed to quicken the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hiring process.
McSally said the bill eliminates the polygraph test, which officials said is a requirement in the CBP hiring... Read More »
A bill designed to help law enforcement and financial
institutions identify and report suspected human traffickers was approved by
the House Foreign Affairs Committee last week.
The End Banking for Human Traffickers Act, sponsored by U.S.
Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Bill Keating (D-MA),... Read More »
Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced Wednesday a measure designed to repeal a pair of Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq and end Gulf and Iraq war authorizations.
Specifically, the legislation will repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs.
“There is no... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency's Chicago Field Office (CFO) set a record number of seizures during fiscal year 2018.
CBP authorities said in fiscal year 2018, the CFO intercepted more than 24,000 packages of narcotics while weighing more than 30,000 pounds in mail... Read More »
House Minority
Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), co-chairman of the Congressional Valley Fever Task
Force, held a Valley Fever roundtable on Wednesday, hosting scientists
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National
Institutes of Health (NIH), doctors, patient... Read More »
The Israel – U.S. Binational Industrial Research and
Development (BIRD) Foundation is seeking proposals for advanced technologies related
to homeland security.
The BIRD Foundation is seeking proposals in six areas:
Advanced first responder technologies; Border protection, including... Read More »
Baltimore County personnel are espousing the benefits of a new, purpose-built cell site designed to deliver increased coverage and capacity to first responders across the state.
Officials said public safety communications is receiving a critical upgrade with the cell site launch of a new,... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced a bill
last week that would expand federal background checks for gun purchases and
transfers.
The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 was approved
by a vote of 240-190 with only 8 Republicans supporting it. It now moves to the
Senate for action.... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced Singh’s Law, a measure designed to prevent known gang members and those convicted of dangerous crimes from entering the country.
Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA)... Read More »
The U.S. Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) ports of entry in Arizona are urging travelers to
prepare for the upcoming Spring Break by enrolling in trusted traveler programs
and using Ready Lanes.
Non-immigrant
visa, passport holders are urged to apply for tourist permits online.
To use... Read More »
A group of legislators introduced last week a measure designed to bolster greater cyber transparency, security, and data privacy initiatives.
Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Doug Jones (D-AL) said the Cybersecurity Disclosure Act of 2019... Read More »
Several groups, including the National Sheriff’s
Association, voiced their support for a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton
(R-AR) that would bar aliens associated with a criminal gang and convicted of a
crime from entering the United States.
The bill, called Singh's law, says aliens... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently petitioned the Justice Department to implement information from requisite agencies via the Fix NICS Act, which requires steps to assess progress in database correction.
Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Dianne... Read More »
Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Xochitl Torres Small (D-NM) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced last week a measure designed to streamline and amend the overtime payment process, enabling border patrol personnel greater compensation flexibility.
The Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendment Act of 2019... Read More »
In a letter released this week, more than 400 physicians and scientists called on Congress to increase the nation’s funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
The United States is the largest contributor to the fund to date, comprising a third of total funding.... Read More »
A bill introduced
in the U.S. House last week would aim to improve employee morale at the Department
of Homeland Security (DHS), which ranked last among the 17 major Federal
agencies for morale in 2018, according to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.
Since being in
2003, DHS has... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently assessed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to enhance the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, offering input on progress and challenges.
The GAO recommended the department identify high-risk chemical... Read More »
Several federal government agencies, including the
Department of Homeland Security, introduced a program this week called the
Opioid Detection Challenge, a $1.55 million competition to develop opioid
detection technologies.
The Opioid Detection Challenge calls upon innovators
to submit plans... Read More »
Recognizing the potential for public health emergencies to be exacerbated by lack of cooperation, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have created a joint task force to make... Read More »
