Homeland Security Watch

Comment by William R. Cumming

April 27, 2009 @ 7:19 am

Refernce the Fong and Manning confirmation hearings several questions are offered to enlighten the Senate!
First for Manning!
How will your position relate to the Rand Beers position (heading the National Programs Protection Directorate of DHS)?
Second! What specific delegations of authority will you have from the Secretary DHS or through the Administrator of FEMA?
Finally, exactly what are your staffing and funding levels for your directorate through this FY and what has been proposed for next year? Do you personally believe this is adequate? Have you been given in briefings for this confirmation hearing a document aligning the resources of the Directorate against the legal authorities, programs, functions, and activities you will administer? Are any of the key programs, functions, and activities of your Directorate unauthorized by Congress except by an appropriations statute?

For Mr. Fong: First, your office operates to some degree on a decentralized basis with various subordinate offices of chief counsel. Are you satisfied with the current arrangements and/or delegations and if not what changes will you make?
Second, given the release of the OLC/DOJ torture memos would you be willing to release all DHS OGC correspondence, opinions, internal memorandums concerning DHS policy and activities with respect to interrogation techniques concerning use of torture as defined in the OLC memos? Third, would you be willing to furnish a list of all statutes administered by DHS that you believe because of departmental expertise the federal courts should show deference to DHS as in the Chevron v. US decision?
For both nominees, can you give us your views as to the DHS role and responsibities in pandemic flu situations and bioterrorism?
I hope both these highly qualified individuals are confirmed and both these are tough jobs!