HSGAC HEARS FROM DHS POLICY NOMINEE

“The Office of Policy serves as the lead office for the development and coordination of department-wide policy,” Lieberman said. “But policy coordination within the Department has at times been a major challenge. Many of the operating components of the Department have their own policy offices, and responsibility for policy in areas such as cybersecurity and information-sharing has sometimes been ambiguous. If confirmed, Mr. Heyman will have to take steps to improve policy coordination across the Department, to ensure that policy decisions are consistent and are made efficiently.

Collins said: “The Department of Homeland Security’s Policy Office is tasked with developing a comprehensive approach to policy and planning for the Department and bringing the various components of DHS, as well as its state, local, and private sector partners, together under a unified vision. Mr. Heyman has a wealth of experience on homeland security policy issues from serving in positions both inside and outside of government. He has served as a senior advisor to the Secretary of Energy and as a senior analyst in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Most recently, Mr. Heyman was the Director of the Homeland Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies where he studied a wide range of issues that are vital to the Department’s success.”