DHS identifies priorities for 2007
DHS Assistant Secretary for the Private Sector Office Alfonso Martinez-Fonts spoke at a presentation today at an event hosted by Congressional Quarterly, and in his remarks discussed some of the outcomes from a DHS senior-level offsite held two weeks ago. He noted that the offsite meeting led to the identification of six top-level priorities for DHS in 2007:
- Keeping bad people out of the United States;
- Keeping the “really bad stuff” out of the United States (esp. rad-nuke materials);
- Strengthening the screening of workers and travelers;
- Securing critical infrastructure;
- Building a nimble, effective emergency response system and a culture of preparedness;
- Strengthening the core management of DHS.
This list seems to be an updated version of the “Six-Point Agenda” for DHS that emerged after the Second-Stage Review process in mid-2005. That list included “information-sharing with our partners,” which is missing in the updated list. Immigration and interior enforcement issues are likewise no longer emphasized. Added to this new list is critical infrastructure protection, and the bullet items for border and transportation security are reorganized in a way that suggests much more of a strategic focus focused on cross-cutting functions (screening, credentialing, etc.) rather than distinct missions (border security, cargo security, etc.)
