Senator Gary Peters Questions DHS Secretary on Oversight and CISA Mission

Congressional Oversight and Communication

• 📌 Senator Gary Peters expressed frustration with the DHS Secretary, noting he has sent nine letters since her swearing-in and only received two replies, one of which was "unsatisfactory."
• ⚠️ Peters emphasized that responses to congressional oversight requests should be a priority, despite the Secretary's busy schedule.
• 🤝 The Secretary acknowledged the backlog, attributing some delays to the extensive data gathering required for certain requests, and committed to providing responses before the upcoming budget hearing.

Northern Border and Infrastructure

• 🌉 Preparations for the opening of the Gordy How International Bridge between Detroit and Canada are reportedly on track, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirming adequate resources and personnel.
• 📍 The build-out of the Northern Border Mission Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base is also progressing well and on schedule.

CISA's Mission and Focus

• 🎯 Senator Peters questioned the Secretary's previous statements about getting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) "back on mission," seeking specifics on which offices or programs were considered off-mission.
• 🚫 The Secretary clarified that CISA had previously engaged in functions related to defining misinformation and censorship, which have since been eliminated.
• 💡 CISA's core mission, as stated by the Secretary, is to support small and medium businesses and protect critical infrastructure like the electrical grid and water systems from cyber threats.
• 🔍 While the misinformation unit (15 employees) is gone, the Secretary indicated that CISA is "getting there" and still needs to break down silos between intelligence agencies and build better communication systems.
• 🤝 A key priority is strengthening partnerships with the private sector to share information and expertise to combat hackers and protect critical information.
• ✅ The Secretary affirmed that CISA is now on mission, particularly concerning the protection of 10 out of 16 critical infrastructure components, which is a top priority for the President.