Political Quotes

“Sixteen years after the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaida terrorists on our homeland, most Americans would be dismayed that information-sharing stovepipes still exist. While information sharing since that fateful day has improved dramatically, we still have work to do at the Department of Homeland Security. When the DHS was created, 22 component agencies were brought together with different missions, databases, and legal authorities. The DHS personnel have to deal with a costly, cumbersome process to search and vet information against a large number of databases, using different logins, passwords, and legal restrictions. The DHS data framework was designed to bring together these vital DHS datasets, including travel and cargo information, investigative data, and critical infrastructure data, among others. The other important element of the framework is the replication of the platform on a classified network to allow classified analysis and vetting of law enforcement data against intelligence information. Given the importance of the Data Framework Initiative, the need to weigh security versus civil liberties, as well as the Federal Government's history of delays and cost overruns on IT projects, it is critical that this program receive congressional oversight.…”