WASHINGTON – The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee announced today that U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan will serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, which will conduct oversight of efforts to address national security threats and waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
“As Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight, I am eager to continue leading bipartisan efforts to address emerging national security threats and conduct important oversight of how taxpayers’ dollars are spent,” Senator Hassan said. “The United States is facing a range of emerging threats, from terrorism at home and abroad to cyberattacks, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to combat these threats and help keep our citizens safe, secure, and free. Granite Staters know better than any the importance of fiscal responsibility, and I look forward to continuing efforts to improve government efficiency and crack down on the waste of taxpayer dollars.”
“Senator Hassan has spent her entire career working across the aisle to strengthen national security and cut fraud, waste and abuse throughout government. Her strong leadership will help ensure this subcommittee is prepared to address and respond to some of the most serious threats to our country, including terrorism,” said Senator Peters, Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “I look forward to working with her to protect the safety of the American people and ensure that government is working effectively and efficiently for all.”
The Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight is responsible for conducting oversight to prevent waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars; examining emerging national security threats and federal preparedness to respond to those threats; and improving threat prevention coordination between the federal government and state, local, Tribal and territorial governments, among other matters. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) will serve as Ranking Member of the subcommittee.
Senator Hassan is focused on strengthening the country’s national security, and successfully worked to pass the bipartisan DHS Data Framework Act – which is now law – to help ensure that analysts at the Department of Homeland Security can more efficiently identify terrorist threats. Last Congress, the Senate also passed Senator Hassan’s bipartisan bill to help strengthen counterterrorism efforts by requiring federal agencies to report to Congress after a terrorist attack with information about exactly what happened and recommendations to prevent future attacks. In addition, bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Hassan is now law to ensure that personnel at the Department of Homeland Security have the tools that they need to more easily detect synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Former President Trump also signed into law bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Senator Hassan to codify in law that grant funding for houses of worship and nonprofit organizations must be available for small states like New Hampshire, not just major metropolitan areas, and Senator Hassan successfully worked to quadruple funding for the program.
Senator Hassan has also worked on a number of bipartisan bills to strengthen cybersecurity at all levels of government. The most recent National Defense Authorization Act included a measure led by Senators Hassan and John Cornyn (R-TX) to establish a Cybersecurity State Coordinator position in every state. Additionally, Senators Hassan and Rob Portman (R-OH) worked to pass into law the bipartisan Hack DHS Act that establishes a bug bounty pilot program – modeled off of similar programs at the Department of Defense and major tech companies – that uses vetted “white-hat” or ethical hackers to help identify unique and undiscovered vulnerabilities in the Department of Homeland Security networks and information technology.
Senator Hassan has also worked across the aisle to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. The government funding bill that was passed into law last year included the bipartisan Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which Senator Hassan cosponsored to curb federal improper payments to the deceased and save taxpayer dollars. It also included bipartisan bills that Senator Hassan helped lead to strengthen government accountability by expanding whistleblower protections and authorizing the Oversight.gov website. The Senator also introduced bipartisan legislation last year with Senator Paul to save taxpayer dollars and eliminate duplicative government programs.
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