Today John Katko picked up his first leadership post today when he was appointed chairman of the House Homeland Security subcommittee. Katko, R-Camillus, was one of six subcommittee chairs appointed by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security. Katko, a former federal prosecutor who worked on border security issues early in his career, will take the oath of office Tuesday when the 114th Congress convenes at noon.
The others appointed subcommittee chairs are:
Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich. (Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security)
Rep. Peter King, R-Long Island, (Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence)
Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas (Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Security Technologies)
Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz. (Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications)
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., (Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency)
So, what does this mean in terms of the day-to-day operations? A lot and a little. Right now, not much is going to happen with Katko's new responsibility. It is the long-term action that results from his appointment that needs to be considered. A focus on current laid plans for transportation will likely continue on "as is" and with Katko bringing a new perspective on overlapping homeland security concerns as far as different divisions of the government are concerned.
As I noted in my book, this Katko's potential ability to provide continued oversight of layered approaches and grey areas (always needed) may be a benefit to the subcommittee. This said, a lot of homeland security related news is happening this week and I look forward to covering all of it for you.
Twyla N. Garrett
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