The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can’t afford deep, sweeping cuts to its budget and efforts to control its costs as part of a larger deficit reduction initiative should include things such as efficiency improvements and even consolidating congressional jurisdiction over the department, which would save on personnel and financial resources, the leaders of the House and Senate panels that oversee much of DHS, say in separate letters to a bipartisan congressional committee that is looking to slash at least $1.5 trillion in federal spending during the next decade.
“It is important that the Joint Select Committee endeavor to present meaningful reforms that reduce waste, rather than indiscriminately cut critical funding to security programs for our homeland by sequestration,” Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, says in an Oct. 14 letter to Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the co-chairs of the “Super Committee.”
King says that homeland security and national security are synonymous and that DHS programs “constitute our national defense against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates as they continue to threaten our nation.”
In his letter to the Super Committee, King suggests that in addition to considering reducing the number of congressional committees that oversee DHS–it currently reports to 108 committee sand subcommittees–that it also consider other proposals that are already on the table such the creation of a nationwide first responder network.
King cites a first responder network proposal by the Obama administration that would save $8 billion over the next 10 years.
“This proposal represents the type of balanced approach that the Joint Select Committee should actively pursue, one that combines an immediate public safety initiative with good governance cost savings,” King says.
In a separate later to the Super Committee last Friday, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I/D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the ranking member on the panel, warn that “wholesale reductions” in DHS’ budget “would be unwise, threatening reversal of the progress that has been achieved in creating an integrated Department and imperiling the Department’s ability to protect our citizens from terrorism and natural disasters.”
Similar to King, the senators urge the deficit reduction committee to look for ways to generate cost savings without gutting the department. They point to their committee’s recent authorization bill for DHS that would eliminate or consolidate programs. They also suggest implementing Obama’s plan for a nationwide first responder network to raise revenues for deficit reduction through spectrum auctions while improving public safety.
The deficit reduction panel’s recommendation will receive an up or down vote in Congress by Dec. 23.