Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress: CRS Experts

Updated April 25, 2019 (R45684)

In 2001, in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, "homeland security" went from being a concept discussed among a relatively small cadre of policymakers and strategic thinkers to one broadly discussed among policymakers, including a broad swath of those in Congress. Debates over how to implement coordinated homeland security policy led to the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296), the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and extensive legislative activity in the ensuing years.

Initially, homeland security was largely seen as counterterrorism activities. Today, homeland security is a broad and complex network of interrelated issues. For example, in its executive summary, the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review delineated the missions of the homeland security enterprise as follows: prevent terrorism and enhance security; secure and manage the borders; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard and secure cyberspace; and strengthen national preparedness and resilience.

This document lists CRS experts across an array of issues that may come before the 116^th Congress which are linked to themes similar to those explored in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review or impact DHS as an entity. It provides contact information for the subject matter experts and, in many cases, includes links to background Insights on the topics they cover. The Insights may be accessed individually by clicking the specific topic in the experts list.

After an introductory section with three crosscutting topics, the experts list groups more specific issues into five general themes:

Counterterrorism and Security Management;
Border Security and Trade;
Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery;
Cybersecurity; and
DHS Management Issues.

Each category contains a survey of topics briefly analyzed by CRS experts. The information contained in the Insights only scratches the surface of these selected issues. Congressional clients may obtain more detailed information on these topic and others by contacting the relevant CRS expert.

This list of experts is neither exhaustive nor exclusive in its scope, but representative of the broad array of issues that may be taken up in one way or another by the 116^th Congress. Some specific issues or issue areas are explored from a variety of perspectives in other CRS work (e.g., issues with law enforcement, domestic policy, or national security aspects), and the reader is encouraged to reach out to CRS directly or explore the CRS website to take full advantage of the products available to them on these matters.

While the individual Insights linked to this experts list may be updated, they should be viewed as an introduction to selected topics, not a legislative tracker.

Table 1. Experts on Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116^th Congress

Legislative Issue	Name	Phone	Email
Introduction
The Budget and Homeland Security	William Painter	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
The U.S. Intelligence Community	Michael Devine	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Homeland Security Research and Development	Daniel Morgan	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Counterterrorism and Security Management
National Strategy for Counterterrorism	John Rollins	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Medical Countermeasures to Terrorism	Frank Gottron	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Chemical Facilities Security	Frank Gottron	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Pipeline Security	Paul Parfomak	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
National Continuity Policy^a	R. Eric Petersen	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
U.S. Secret Service Protection of Persons and Facilities	Shawn Reese	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Protection of Executive Branch Officials	Shawn Reese	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Border Security and Trade
Drug Trafficking at the Southwest Border	Kristin M. Finklea	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Barriers Between Ports of Entry on the Southwest Border	Audrey Singer	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Immigration Inspections at Ports of Entry	Audrey Singer	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Aviation, Airport, and Air Cargo Security	Bart Elias	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Port and Maritime Security	John Frittelli	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Transit and Passenger Rail Security	David Randall Peterman	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
National Preparedness Policy	Shawn Reese	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
FEMA Disaster Relief Funding	William Painter	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Disaster Housing Assistance	Elizabeth Webster	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Disaster Recovery Reform Act	Elizabeth Webster	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) NFIP Reauthorization and Reform	Diane Horn	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Community Disaster Loans	Michael H. Cecire	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Firefighter Assistance Grants	Lennard G. Kruger	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Emergency Communications	Jill Gallagher	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
National Health Security	Sarah Lister	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Issues	Chris Jaikaran	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
DHS Management Issues
DHS Human Resources Management	Barbara Schwemle	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]
DHS Unity of Effort	William Painter	[phone number scrubbed]	[email address scrubbed]

a. National Continuity Policy (NCP) refers to efforts to ensure that national governing entities are able to recover from a wide range of potential operational interruptions. The foundational documents for this policy, as well as for Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) are generally not public. Congressional clients with questions on these policies may contact the expert directly for assistance.

CRS Report R45701, Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress, is a single document compiling the linked Insights.

Author Contact Information

William L. Painter, Specialist in Homeland Security and Appropriations ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])