United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is a cabinet-level position responsible for overseeing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was established in 2002 in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks. The role was created to lead efforts in preventing terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of the U.S. The secretary heads one of the largest government departments, managing over 200,000 employees across twenty-two different agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection.
The position of secretary has evolved, particularly highlighted by the challenges faced during natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina, which prompted significant scrutiny of the department's effectiveness. Originally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was incorporated into DHS but was later reestablished as a separate agency within the department due to criticisms regarding response efforts.
The secretary is appointed by the president and is the last cabinet member in the presidential line of succession. This role is crucial not only for national security but also for managing responses to emergencies and safeguarding the nation’s infrastructure against various threats.
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
The United States secretary of homeland security is a presidential cabinet position that oversees the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an agency responsible for preventing terrorism and maintaining security on US soil. The position heads the newest of the fifteen cabinet departments. It was created in 2002 as a response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States. The secretary is in charge of the third-largest department in the government, with a workforce of more than two hundred thousand employees and twenty-two agencies under its wing.
Overview
The United States experienced several terrorist attacks in the 1990s, including the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York and the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. Several committees were formed to discuss the creation of a government agency to address the issue, but no action was taken at the time. That changed after four coordinated terrorist attacks killed almost three thousand people in the United States on September 11, 2001.
Just eleven days after the attacks, President George W. Bush named Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge as the first director of the Office of Homeland Security. The agency’s mission was to develop a coordinated strategy to safeguard the nation against future terror attacks. In November 2003, Congress passed the Homeland Security Act, officially making the office a cabinet position. The act shifted more than one hundred thousand government employees in twenty-two agencies into the Department of Homeland Security. It was the largest governmental reorganization since World War II (1939–1945).
One of the departments placed under the leadership of the secretary of homeland security included the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA is responsible for coordinating the federal government’s response to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. FEMA was initially dissolved and absorbed into DHS. After Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, in September 2005, the secretary of homeland security faced severe criticism for the government’s response to the disaster. Many critics contended the structural changes brought about by FEMA’s merger into DHS resulted in a slow government response. In 2006, congressional reforms reestablished FEMA as a separate agency within DHS.
The secretary of homeland security is also responsible for overseeing twenty-one other agencies within the department, including:
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA): Created after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the TSA is responsible for ensuring the safety of air travel in the United States.
- Customs and Border Protection: The largest agency under DHS control, it is responsible for enforcing international trade and immigration rules.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): ICE is a law enforcement agency charged with upholding immigration law.
- Coast Guard: A part of the US military, the Coast Guard protects the nation’s ports, waterways, and coastal areas.
- Secret Service: A law enforcement agency tasked with protecting the president and other government leaders.
As a member of the cabinet, the secretary of homeland security is part of the line of succession for the presidency, placing eighteenth after the secretary of veterans affairs. The secretary of homeland security is the last cabinet member on the list. The secretary is appointed by the president. Within the department, the secretary would be succeeded by the deputy secretary of homeland security.
Bibliography
“About DHS.” US Department of Homeland Security, 11 June 2024, www.dhs.gov/about-dhs. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
“Department of Homeland Security.” Council on Foreign Relations, 1 Jan. 2006, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/department-homeland-security. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
“Executive Order 13442—Amending the Order of Succession in the Department of Homeland Security.” Federal Register, 15 Aug. 2007, www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2007-08-15/pdf/07-4023.pdf. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
“Homeland Security.” US Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, www.hsgac.senate.gov/issues/homeland-security. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
“Office of the Secretary.” US Department of Homeland Security, www.dhs.gov/office-secretary. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Perl, Raphael. “The Department of Homeland Security: Background and Challenges.” National Academy of Sciences, 2018, www.nap.edu/read/10968/chapter/24. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.
Philpott, Don. Understanding the Department of Homeland Security. Bernan Press, 2015.
“Succession: Presidential and Vice Presidential Fast Facts.” CNN, 27 Sept. 2022, www.cnn.com/2013/08/27/us/succession-presidential-and-vice-presidential-fast-facts/index.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2024.