2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: Evolution of a Strategic Review
Updated June 22, 2023
2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review:
Evolution of a Strategic Review
Overview
turning those requirements into an acquisition strategy
In April 2023, the Department of Homeland Security
and expenditure plan within the department.
(DHS) issued its third Quadrennial Homeland Security
Additionally, Congress required the QHSR report to
Review (QHSR). DHS states that the QHSR is a
“comprehensive examination of the homeland security
• summarize the results of the homeland security review
strategy of the Nation, including recommendations
process;
regarding the long-term strategy and priorities of the Nation
for homeland security.”
• describe national homeland security threats;
• discuss the status of cooperation among all levels of
The QHSR report delivered to Congress provides an
governments in preventing terrorist attacks and
explanation of this process. Neither the review process nor
responding to emergencies; and
the report to Congress is itself the strategy. Instead, the
2023 QHSR (both the process and the report) are part of the
• explain any underlying assumptions used in conducting
executive branch’s continuous reevaluation of the nation’s
the review.
homeland security posture.
Meeting QHSR Process and Report
Broadly, the 2023 QHSR confirms national homeland
Requirements
security goals established in previous reports, but also adds
Congress specifically tasked DHS with the QHSR process
a new goal related to combatting crimes of exploitation,
and established reporting requirements through Section 707
such as human trafficking. This In Focus provides
of the HSA (as amended). It appears that DHS met a
additional context for interpreting the 2023 QHSR, as well
significant number of the review and report requirements
as relevant policy considerations.
with the 2023 QHSR. DHS, however, only partially met the
requirement to prioritize missions because the department
History of the QHSR
only identified cross-cutting priorities rather than truly
Congress originally tasked the National Homeland Security
prioritizing missions. DHS also did not provide an
Council to assess homeland security objectives,
assessment of DHS mechanisms for meeting the QHSR’s
commitments, and risks in Section 904 of the Homeland
requirements, or for turning those requirements into an
Security Act of 2002 (HSA; P.L. 107-296). Additionally,
acquisition strategy and expenditure plan, as required by the
the council was to oversee and review homeland security
HSA.
policies.
DHS delivered QHSR reports as expected in 2010 and
With the enactment of the Implementing Recommendations
2014. In 2010, the Obama Administration combined the
of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (9/11 Act; P.L. 110-
national and homeland security strategies with its 2010
53), Congress required DHS to conduct a quadrennial
issuance of the National Security Strategy. DHS did not
homeland security review. Congress required both the
issue a statutorily required QHSR in 2018.
QHSR review and report to include
2023 Homeland Security Missions and
• prioritized missions;
Priorities
•
In the 2023 QHSR, DHS states that the five homeland
a description of the interagency cooperation,
security missions identified in the 2010 and 2014 editions
preparedness of federal response assets, infrastructure,
are still pertinent:
budget plan, and other homeland security elements; and
• an assessment of DHS’s organizational structure with
• securing against the evolving terrorism threat;
the national homeland security strategy.
• safeguarding and securing cyberspace;
Congress specifically required the DHS Secretary to consult
• countering biological threats and hazards;
with other federal entities, and required the review process
to include
• securing and managing flows of people and goods; and
•
• strengthening the execution of DHS’s mission through
a delineated and updated national homeland security
public-private partnerships.
strategy; and
•
The 2023 QHSR added a sixth national homeland security
a review and assessment of the effectiveness of DHS
mechanisms for meeting the QHSR’s requirements, and
mission: to “combat crimes of exploitation and protect
victims.” DHS states that this mission reflects a need to
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2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: Evolution of a Strategic Review
stop perpetrators of human trafficking, curtail labor and
security effort during this period was directly led by the
child exploitation, support victims, and engage the public.
White House rather than DHS, and focused primarily on
The 2023 QHSR also provides an in-depth framework of
immigration and terrorism. The Biden Administration has
the nation’s basic homeland security missions.
since returned to the previously observed practice of
reviewing the nation’s homeland security quadrennially.
The 2010 and 2014 QHSR reports were widely criticized
Congress may want to consider whether the quadrennial
for not communicating the nation’s homeland security
schedule is adequate, and how best to assure the QHSR is
priorities, not comparing favorably to the Department of
delivered according to statutory reporting requirements.
Defense’s Quadrennial Defense Review, and not identifying
a budget plan or resources to secure the nation. The 2023
Lastly, the 2023 QHSR attempts to show how the nation’s
QSHR appears not to address these shortcomings. Instead,
homeland security threat has evolved since 2014, and (as
the 2023 QSHR provides an overview summary of DHS’s
identified above) identifies a new mission: combatting
responsibilities, activities, and accomplishments.
crimes of exploitation and protecting victims. Members of
Congress may want to consider whether this mission aligns
Discussion of Potential 2023 QHSR
with national homeland security goals and how best to
Issues
support or conduct oversight on it.
Since the 2023 QHSR is the first to be published in nearly a
decade, Congress may want to review a number of potential
Conclusion
issues raised by the new report, including:
Holistically, the 2023 QHSR is only a review of national
homeland security activities since 2014. The current QHSR
• the continued absence of prioritized national homeland
looks at challenges and responsibilities, but does not
security missions;
address fiscal or budget priorities.
• the continued absence of forward-looking analysis of
Some critics have argued the homeland security missions
current homeland security threats and issues; and
identified in the QHSR may not actually be the correct
• the continued absence of an acquisition, budget, or fiscal focus for DHS, or for the nation more broadly. For
plan to support national homeland security missions.
example, some argue that immigration is not a homeland
security issue so much as it is a cultural, economic, and
Congress may also wish to address the core issue of
geopolitical one. Some also question whether disaster
requiring a single department (DHS) to review the entire
nation’s homeland security
response is truly a homeland security function.
efforts. Homeland security is
commonly understood to require a whole-of-government
Finally, Congress may want to revisit its legislative
approach; however, the current QHSR process has focused
provision addressing DHS and the QHSR, and the
on departmental responsibilities rather than enterprise-wide
requirements it placed on DHS for reviewing the nation’s
endeavors. The congressional requirement of interagency
homeland security.
review has yet to be achieved by any of the current or past
QHSRs.
Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and
The Trump Administration did not release a QHSR between
Homeland Security Policy
2017 to 2021. The Atlantic Council, a nonpartisan
IF10024
organization that promotes U.S. leadership and engagement
in international affairs, argues that the nation’s homeland
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2023 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: Evolution of a Strategic Review
Disclaimer
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