For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
WASHINGTON – Today, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke testified at the annual U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on threats to the homeland.
Excerpts from Acting Secretary Duke’s testimony are below.
“In recent weeks, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria have placed the spotlight on natural disasters. With FEMA’s leadership, our Department and the whole of the federal government have come together to respond to these crises, and I am impressed with the professionalism I have witnessed. But the challenges in places like Puerto Rico are evidence that there is a long road ahead. To those who have been caught up in the disasters let me say this: I promise to do everything in my power to bring relief. And we will stand with you—side-by-side—in the weeks, months, and years to come.”
“Right now the terror threat to our country equals, and in many ways exceeds, the period around 9/11. We are seeing a surge in terrorist activity because the fundamentals of terrorism have changed. Our enemies are crowd-sourcing their violence online and promoting a “do it yourself” approach that involves using any weapons their followers can get their hands on.”
“DHS is not standing on the sidelines as these threats spread, and we will not allow pervasive terrorism to become the new normal. We are tackling the danger head-on in two ways. First, we are rethinking homeland security for a new age. There is no longer a “home game” and an “away game.” The line is blurred, and the threats are connected across borders… Second, we are raising the baseline of our security posture—across the board. We’re looking at everything from traveler screening to information sharing. Higher threat levels mean we need higher standards.”
You can read her full testimony here.
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