New DHS Secretary Responds to Senate Committee Questions on 100% Scanning, Risk Management, Etc.
As part of her confirmation process, Secretary of Homeland Security Napolitano submitted to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee responses to a pre-hearing questionnaire.
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Highlights of the DHS Secretary's responses to the Committee's questions include:
2012 Deadline for 100% Scanning Will be Difficult to Achieve
The DHS Secretary responded to a question regarding whether the 100% scanning requirement is consistent with a risk-based approach to maritime container security with multiple layers of protection by stating that the more the U.S. knows about the millions of containers that either flow through U.S. maritime ports or cross through its land borders, the better it can make informed risk-based judgments and deploy resources accordingly.
The DHS Secretary noted that her understanding of the Secure Freight Initiative1 is that container screening is a valuable security tool, but there are limits to what can be done at the port facility itself without severely disrupting port operations.
She continued by stating that the 2012 deadline for 100% scanning is going to be difficult to achieve based on what she knows today, and that she plans to look closely at where DHS is and what is possible and useful and then come back to Congress with a clear path forward.
Granting a Waiver to Extend 100% Scanning Deadline Must be Seriously Considered
In response to a question regarding whether the DHS Secretary would extend the deadline for 100% scanning of containers by granting a waiver (as provided for in Section 1701 of the "Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007") she stated that she will review DHS' efforts to date and determine whether it would be appropriate and necessary to exercise this authority. However, based on what she knows today, the DHS Secretary stated that exercising the extension authority must be seriously considered and that any decision to use such authority would be made in close consultation with Congress.
New DHS Secretary Supports Decision Making Based on Risk Management
In her responses, the DHS Secretary also stated that she supports DHS' efforts to use risk management as a basis for decision making, noting that DHS cannot be everywhere and protect everything at all times and risk analysis has to be used to set priorities and guide resource allocation.
New DHS Secretary Agrees with Concept of "Pushing out the Border"
The DHS Secretary also expressed agreement with the basic approach to maritime border security of "pushing out the border" by identifying and intercepting threats long before they pose a risk to the U.S. She notes that U.S. Customs and Border Protection now knows significantly more about inbound shipments and passengers approaching U.S. maritime ports of entry. She stated that she will insure that CBP is doing what can be done with existing technologies without inhibiting the flow of cargo and passengers through U.S. ports.
1SFI, a layered risk-based strategy for supply chain security, is comprised of three components: International Container Scanning (which CBP has been piloting), Advanced Trade Data (102), and the Global Trade Exchange (GTX), plans for which CBP subsequently dropped.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 08/08/07 news, 07080810, for BP summary of the 100% scanning, etc. provisions in the "Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007."
See ITT's Online Archives or 04/07/08 news, 08040705, for BP summary of CBP's announcement that it would not go forward with GTX.
See ITT's Online Archives or 08/28/08 news, 08082805, for BP summary of CBP's update on the SFI 100% scanning pilot.)
DHS Secretary Napolitano's responses to pre-hearing questionnaire available at http://hsgac.senate.gov/public/_files/011509PreHearingQs.pdf.