House Republicans tout bills seeking to address homeland security improvements

House Committee on Homeland Security lawmakers said the panel has advanced 12 measures to bolster homeland security, which includes five Homeland Republican bills.

“Homeland Republicans continue to deliver results for the American people aimed at strengthening our homeland security and addressing the challenges we face,” Ranking Member Rep. John Katko (R-NY) said. “This includes my bill (the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act) prioritizing the long-term viability of the Shadow Wolves unit by allowing officers to be reclassified as special agents with appropriate authorities and pay. Every day, these officers carry out a difficult mission under increasingly challenging circumstances while providing critical law enforcement expertise to our homeland security apparatus, and we owe it to them to ensure they are properly compensated.”

The legislation would strengthen border security, support the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) role as the lead agency in cyber incident response, increase oversight and accountability at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and advance domestic supply chain resilience.

U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) offered the following regarding the DHS Trade & Economic Security Council Act of 2021 (H.R. 4476), which he introduced:

“The COVID-19 pandemic opened our eyes to the dangers of becoming dependent on untrustworthy countries like China for materials that are critical to the daily lives of Americans,” Meijer said. “It is clearer now than ever before that economic security is homeland security. This bill would formalize and centralize these important efforts at DHS to ensure that the Department works more efficiently and remains focused on addressing these challenges in the years to come.”