Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2190, the Streamlining DHS Overhead Act. Despite being the Nation's third largest Federal department, the Department of Homeland Security continues to struggle with challenges from its integration of 22 different Federal departments and agencies. One example of these challenges is the Department's management of its real estate portfolio. DHS pays $2 billion a year to occupy more than 100 million square feet of space. Weak internal oversight and a lack of property management processes have further intensified the problem. Collaboration and coordination is important in these instances, and doing nothing has led to a footprint larger than what DHS needs to carry out its mission. This legislation directly addresses these challenges by mandating the development of regional real property strategies that focus on consolidating leases, where appropriate, to the mission. It also gives the Under Secretary for Management oversight tools to ensure DHS property is being managed efficiently. Another important part of this legislation is its outlining of responsibilities for the Chief Facilities and Logistics Officer to achieve cost savings.…”