U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) released a report on Tuesday that concluded that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could make the country safer by streamlining and consolidating departmental operations.
McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said that despite existing for more than 13 years, DHS continues to struggle with inefficiencies and management challenges that have existed since its inception.
House Homeland Security Committee majority staff recently released a report titled “Streamlining the Department of Homeland Security’s Overhead Will Make the Homeland Safer” that resulted from a yearlong investigation of DHS field efficiencies and its real property portfolio.
“My committee has conducted site visits and interviews, held hearings, and put forth numerous legislative proposals to increase coordination between the department’s numerous offices and agencies and ensure DHS is operating as efficiently as possible,” McCaul said. “There is no room for error in the defense of our nation. The more DHS wastes on unnecessary overhead costs, the less money and resources it has to carry out key missions including: border security, interior enforcement, cybersecurity, aviation security, and supporting first responders.”
The report recommends a sustained commitment to better tracking and analyzing enterprise-wide real property data, consolidation of excess real estate and disposal of underutilized space, and utilization of best practices from the private sector and other agencies to improve efficiencies within the DHS.