About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

GAO-21-105374 1 (2021-08-23)

handle is hein.gao/gaomck0001 and id is 1 raw text is: U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE A Century of Non-Partisan Fact-Based Work 441 G St. N.W. Washington, DC 20548 August 23, 2021 The Honorable Alejandro Mayorkas Secretary of Homeland Security Washington, D.C. 20528 Additional Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Homeland Security Dear Secretary Mayorkas: On August 13, 2021, the Comptroller General sent you a letter regarding GAO's recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and to call your personal attention to areas where open recommendations should be given high priority.1 This supplemental letter is to inform you that we are adding two new recommendations related to domestic intelligence and information sharing from our August 2021 report on DHS's special event designations as related to the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021.2 These two additional recommendations bring the total number of priority recommendations to 40. In the report, we recommended that DHS consider whether additional factors, such as the context of events and surrounding circumstances in light of the current environment of emerging threats, are needed for designating National Special Security Events (NSSE). DHS did not concur with the recommendation and said that they evaluate the context, current environment, and emerging threats when determining whether to designate an event as an NSSE. They noted that the designation process is proactive and involves months of planning with law enforcement partners and others. While we recognize that the NSSE process is complex and can take months to coordinate, our recommendation addresses the need for the process to remain dynamic and responsive to change. For example, as noted in our report, the Secret Service believed the joint session of Congress to certify the election results would not meet the current criteria for an NSSE designation because it is considered routine Congressional business. The view that the events on January 6, 2021 were routine business seems to ignore the context surrounding the November 2020 election, including potential emerging threats and protests. We continue to believe that, in light of the changing security environment, DHS should formally review the factors including whether additional events should be designated. We also recommended that DHS update its policy to clarify and communicate the process for requesting an NSSE designation for an event held on federal property in Washington, D.C., to all relevant stakeholders, including relevant federal and local entities. DHS did not concur with 1Priority recommendations are those that GAO believes warrant priority attention from heads of key departments or agencies. They are highlighted because, upon implementation, they may significantly improve government operation, for example, by realizing large dollar savings; eliminating mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or making progress toward addressing a high-risk or duplication issue. See GAO, Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Homeland Security, GAO-21-377PR (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 13, 2021). 2GAO, Capitol Attack: Special Event Designations Could Have Been Requested for January 6, 2021, but Not All DHS Guidance is Clear, GAO-21-105255 (Washington, D.C.: Aug. 9, 2021). GAO-21-105374 DHS Priority Recommendations Page 1

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most