The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began last week by honoring the U.S. Secret Service’s 150th anniversary. On July 5, 1865, the Secret Service was created by President Abraham Lincoln. DHS celebrated the Secret Service’s history of heroic service with a 150th Anniversary Reception and a congratulatory video message from Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson.
This week, Secretary Johnson also welcomed former U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Vice Commandant Peter Neffenger as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator on Monday, July 6 during a ceremonial swearing in ceremony. TSA Administrator Neffenger was officially sworn in on Saturday, July 4.
Another important DHS event this week occurred on Thursday, July 8, when Secretary Johnson delivered remarks entitled “Securing the .gov” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. During his remarks, Secretary Johnson discussed the role of DHS in promoting national cybersecurity, both within government agencies and the private sector, and called on Congress to pass more extensive cyber legislation. He additionally focused on the issue of increasing cybersecurity while maintaining established freedoms, saying, “Cybersecurity must also be a balance between the basic security of online information and the ability to communicate with and benefit from the networked world.”
Also on Thursday, July 8, Secretary Johnson and Deputy Secretary Mayorkas met with members of the American Jewish Community in Washington D.C. They engaged in a roundtable discussion to envision collective approaches to countering violent extremism and later emphasized the Department’s priority of collaborating with local leaders to safeguard communities.