21 January 2009
The Cabinet
Homeland Security
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano
Confirmed, January 20
Janet Napolitano was selected by President-elect Barack Obama to be the third secretary of homeland security on December 1, 2008. Napolitano had been the governor of Arizona since 2003, and was Arizona’s attorney general from 1999 to 2003.
For additional information, see “President-elect Obama Selects National Security Team.”
The Department of Homeland Security, established 2003
Mission: To lead the unified national effort to secure the country and preserve our freedoms.
Staff: Approximately 180,000 employees
Duties: The department protects the nation from terrorist attacks (foreign and domestic) and provides emergency services after disasters. Bureaus within the department include Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard.
History: This department, the newest in the executive branch, was created in 2003 in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
International engagement: Agencies within the department enforce immigration and border-control laws, customs regulations and transportation-security requirements. The department coordinates with international partners on the Container Security Initiative, active in 58 ports, which screens shipping containers before they are shipped to the United States. The U.S. Coast Guard enforces a number of international agreements related to fisheries management, natural resource protection and the safety of life at sea.
Fun fact: The Department of Homeland Security takes a leading role in ensuring domestic security, but more than 87,000 different federal, state, and local jurisdictions have responsibilities in this effort.
More information: http://www.dhs.gov
