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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > Exclusive: Can Janet Napolitano ‘Walk the Walk’ When it Comes to Homeland Security?

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August 4, 2009

Exclusive: Can Janet Napolitano ‘Walk the Walk’ When it Comes to Homeland Security?

James Carafano, PhD, Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade?

National security news took a back seat last week to the healthcare debate and beer-night at the White House. One exception proved to be a speech by Homeland Security Janet Napolitano at the Council on Foreign Relations. An early criticism of the administration was that officials seemed to be consciously avoiding talking about fighting terrorism. This time, Washington Post reporter Spencer Hsu noted, “she used the word or its variants 23 times in a half-hour speech.” The secretary did an excellent job laying out what needed to be done keep the nation, safe, free, and prosperous over the long-term. Many of the priorities she highlighted were previewed in a report last year by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Heritage Foundation. In fact, one of the leaders in assembling the report, Dave Heyman, is now the chief policy officer in the Department of Homeland Security.  
 
Now, the secretary’s challenge is to “walk the walk.” It will, however, be difficult for her to act as the leader of building a national homeland security enterprise if people perceive the department is being used for “partisan” purposes. Probably the area of greatest concern is how the secretary is addressing immigration enforcement and border security. Although she has touted the new administration’s policies as “smart and tough” enforcement, on close examination they appear to be anything but. As I wrote in the DC Examiner last week, that’s a problem “if Americans don't feel confident their government will enforce the law, they won't be interested in immigration ‘reform.’ That is a tragedy. America needs to jump start its economy. Part of the answer is getting employers the legal work force they need, so that they can grow their businesses--which in turn will grow more jobs, the high-paying rewarding jobs Americans want. Rather than pave the way for serious immigration reform, the department appears to be kowtowing to constituencies and playing politics – an approach that compromises both our security and our prosperity.”
 
Although the administration has talked about taking on comprehensive immigration reform, most Washington insiders think there is no chance of that until the Congress finishes with global warming and national healthcare bills. If the administration fails to get what it wants with these legislative efforts, it is not likely they’ll tackle immigration. On the other hand, if they win on energy and healthcare they might take a run at immigration. Either way, it is unlikely they’ll make much headway if the Homeland Security Department is seen as weak on enforcement.
 
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation. Feedback: editorialdirector@familysecuritymatters.org.

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