FEDERALhearing transcript

Congressional Hearing on DHS Efforts to Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction

Original title: EXAMINING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S EFFORTS TO COUNTER WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

January 1, 2018

homeland security weapons of mass destruction emergency preparedness counter-terrorism government oversight

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing provides oversight on how federal agencies allocate resources and coordinate strategies to protect the public from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Homeland Security

The agency is subject to congressional oversight regarding its organizational structure and counter-WMD strategies.

General Public

The public is the intended beneficiary of federal security programs designed to mitigate risks from weapons of mass destruction.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2018.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a 2017 House hearing regarding how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) organizes its efforts to prevent and respond to weapons of mass destruction. The hearing featured testimony from DHS officials and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the effectiveness of these security programs.

Key Facts

The hearing took place on December 7, 2017, in the Capitol Visitor Center.
The Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications conducted the hearing to review DHS organizational structures for countering WMDs.
Testimony was provided by officials from the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and the Science and Technology Directorate.
The GAO provided an assessment of DHS's emergency management and critical infrastructure protection efforts.
The hearing included a formal record of questions submitted by committee members to DHS and GAO officials for follow-up.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of this hearing?

The hearing was held to examine how the Department of Homeland Security organizes its departments and resources to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

Who testified at this hearing?

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (James F. McDonnell and William Bryan) and the Government Accountability Office (Chris P. Currie) provided testimony.

Why It Matters

The hearing provides oversight on how federal agencies allocate resources and coordinate strategies to protect the public from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

News Coverage

Center1

1 source

Blind spot - only covered by center outlets

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

temporal pattern100% confidence

Historical Commemoration

The hearing was intentionally scheduled on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, which was noted in the Chairman's opening remarks.

Daniel M. Donovan, Jr.

Connected Entities

personDaniel M. Donovan, Jr.“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communicat”Map →

personWilliam Bryan“Acting Under Secretary, Science and Technology Directorate, DHS”Map →

personJames F. McDonnell“Assistant Secretary for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, DHS”Map →

organizationDepartment of Homeland Security“Primary agency under review for WMD counter-measures”Map →

personChris P. Currie“Director, Emergency Management, GAO”Map →

organizationGovernment Accountability Office“Provided independent oversight testimony”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy20
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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