Heritage Foundation Leadership for America

PUBLICATIONS BY Jena Baker McNeill

Research

• 2008

2008 Research

December 16, 2008
Fixing Border Security and Immigration: A Memo to President-elect Obama
By Jena Baker McNeill and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(Special Report #33)
President-elect Obama, we applaud your commitment to secure our nation's borders, but securing our borders is simply one step toward protecting America and fixing our broken immigration system.

December 12, 2008
The Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: A Vital Tool for the Obama Administration
By Jena Baker McNeill
(Backgrounder #2215)
The Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) will occur for the first time next year and is a valuable tool to ease the transition from one Administration to the next because it informs a new Administration on the right course for homeland security. The new Administration should not undertake major changes in homeland security policy until the QHSR process is complete.

December 08, 2008
Strengthening the Visa Waiver Program: A Memo to President-elect Obama
By Jena Baker McNeill, James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., and James Dean
(Special Report #30)
President-elect Obama, your comments on the Senate floor regarding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) demonstrate that you recognize the program's substantial public diplomacy benefits.

December 04, 2008
Cabinet-Level FEMA Not Needed
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2153)
By taking FEMA out of DHS, Congress would turn a blind eye to the lessons learned on 9/11. Putting constituent politics over effective disaster response is a move America can ill-afford.

November 25, 2008
Homeland Security Oversight Reform Requires Leadership
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2143)
On November 12, senior House Republican leaders sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to amend the rule that governs how committees are organized. This letter is a positive step toward changing the chaotic system of congressional oversight of homeland security.

November 21, 2008
Anti-Piracy Initiatives Should Reflect U.S. Maritime Interests
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2141)
It is important that the U.S. government continues to monitor these developments and support anti-piracy initiatives through already-established international forums.

October 21, 2008
Visa Waiver Reform Ready for Next Step
By Jena Baker McNeill and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2108)
On October 17, President Bush announced that seven countries had met the requirements for admission into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). This announcement is a positive step for visa reform. Congress should look to how it can build on the successes of VWP reform.

October 20, 2008
Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack: A Preventable Homeland Security Catastrophe
By Jena Baker McNeill and Richard Weitz, Ph.D.
(Backgrounder #2199)
A major threat to America has been largely ignored by those who could prevent it—the U.S. Congress and the President. They should conduct research on the EMP threat, scenario planning, and the development of a National Recovery plan. An EMP attack on the United States could irreparably cripple the country, wreaking havoc on the nation's electronic systems.

October 08, 2008
Don't Let E-Verify Perish in the Next Congress
By Jena Baker McNeill and Matt A. Mayer
(WebMemo #2097)
On September 27, Congress voted to fund E-Verify through March 2009. This is certainly a positive step for the program, but it has put the ball in the court of the next Congress to reauthorize and fund E-Verify into the future. It is also an opportunity to expand and improve on the program in conjunction with the new Administration.

September 24, 2008
Visa Waiver Program Hearing Should Consider DHS Progress toward Increased Security
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2076)
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report criticizing the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) implementation of the new congressional security measures aimed at the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). DHS counters this report by emphasizing that in a very short period of time, it has made considerable progress toward meeting the looming January deadline.

September 23, 2008
Building Infrastructure Resiliency: Private Sector Investment in Homeland Security
By Jena Baker McNeill
(Backgrounder #2184)
America’s infrastructure is in desperate need of repair and lacks resiliency—the ability to keep the country running after a disaster has struck. Rather than spending money protecting deteriorating infrastructure from terrorists, Washington should define the difference between private-sector and government roles, recognize the amount of infrastructure that needs improvement at the borders, and protect U.S. sovereignty in transnational projects.

September 22, 2008
Removing FEMA from DHS Would Be a Terrible Mistake
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2071)
It’s déjà vu all over again: People are arguing that the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) should be taken out of the Department of Homeland Security. Recent disaster responses, from the California wildfires to Hurricane Ike, demonstrate that FEMA is operating effectively within the department. Congress should reject calls to make FEMA a stand-alone agency.

September 15, 2008
Congress Should Establish EMP Recognition Day
By Jena Baker McNeill and James Jay Carafano, Ph.D.
(WebMemo #2063)
The threat of an Electro-Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack against the United States is credible. Such a strike could have a devastating impact on the nation by disabling electrical systems, grinding the economy to a halt, and possibly resulting in the deaths of millions. Yet other than establishing a commission to study the problem and holding a handful of hearings, Congress has done virtually nothing to address the issue. Such inaction could change virtually overnight, however, if Congress held even one EMP Recognition Day.

September 11, 2008
On the Anniversary of 9/11, Where Is Homeland Security as an Election Issue?
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2058)
This November’s presidential election has already turned into a heated confrontation involving issues that are important to the American public. Yet one critical concern—homeland security—continues to receive scant attention from either major party candidate. The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks should remind both campaigns that the issue of homeland security cannot be ignored.

September 04, 2008
100 Percent Cargo Container Scanning: A Global Disaster
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2047)
A new Government Accountability Office report found that blanket scanning is not only bad for trade but hinders the ability of the international community to improve supply chain security worldwide. This report is not the first round of bad news for 100 percent scanning, and indications are that it will not be the last. Congress must recognize the disastrous consequences of 100 percent scanning and begin to examine alternatives that would maintain economic viability while protecting Americans.

September 02, 2008
FCC Needs to Reexamine Public Safety Spectrum
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2043)
The recent failure by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to garner the minimum bid on the public safety spectrum is a major setback for interoperability in the United States. The FCC must examine what went wrong and ensure that the re-auction takes into account private sector realities, public safety objectives, and FCC goals. The re-auction should be radically different from the first and include fewer restrictions, no reserve price, and more dialogue with the private sector. After all, American lives depend on it.

August 15, 2008
100 Percent Air Cargo Screening Continues to Infect Homeland Security
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2025)
Congress has taken a completely wrong path with regards to cargo screening and should reverse course immediately.

August 06, 2008
Don't Let the Good Die Young: Strengthening Homeland Security's Policy Office
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #2012)
The Office of Policy is an example of the right direction for the Department of Homeland Security. The office is forward thinking and tasked with projects, such as the QHSR, which will have a meaningful impact on the future of the DHS. Congress must not let politics stand in the way of securing the Homeland.

July 16, 2008
Grants Should Not Be the Pork to Feed State Homeland Security Spending
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #1995)
States' use of homeland security grants to supplant state homeland security spending is widespread even in the rosiest of economic times. In the current fiscal climate, however, such toxic misappropriation could explode into an epidemic. Subsequently, Congress must not allow homeland security grants to masquerade as an entitlement program for the states.

July 14, 2008
Congressional Oversight of Homeland Security in Dire Need of Overhaul
By Jena Baker McNeill
(Backgrounder #2161)
Congress has done little to implement the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that it consolidate oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, and this commitment to the status quo threatens the DHS’s ability to identify and respond effectively to security threats. The current oversight system is impractical, constitutionally deficient, and simply poor management. Congress should act immediately to streamline oversight of the DHS.

July 14, 2008
Congress Set to Open the Air Cargo Security Sore
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #1989)
Congress should use tomorrow’s hearing on the 9/11 Commission Act to reexamine the feasibility of the 100 percent screening mandate.

June 19, 2008
Electronic Travel Authorization: Important for Safer and More Secure Overseas Travel
By Jena Baker McNeill
(WebMemo #1964)
On June 3, 2008, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) took the next step toward mandatory implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). By streamlining the current entry-screening process, ESTA enhances security screening at ports of entry into the United States while reducing inconvenience to America’s guests.

June 18, 2008
Beltway-Centric Approach to Disaster Response Is a Recipe for Disaster
By Jena Baker McNeill, J.D.
(WebMemo #1960)
On June 11, 2008, the House Homeland Security Committee (HHSC) held a hearing to examine whether the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is ready to lead relief efforts in the event of a major U.S. catastrophe. Despite the vast amount of resources dedicated to improving DHS’s disaster-response capacity, the consensus of the hearing was that the organization is unprepared to provide adequate post-disaster leadership.