Homeland Security Council
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The Homeland Security Council (HSC) is an entity within the Executive Office of the President of the United States and was created by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 1 (HSPD-1) on October 29, 2001.[1]
It served as the successor to the Office of Homeland Security, established on September 20, 2001, immediately after to the September 11 attacks. Congress subsequently codified the HSC in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, charging it with advising the President on homeland security matters.[1]
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[edit] History
[edit] Structure and functions under George W. Bush
The HSC was similar to its national security counterpart, the National Security Council (NSC), which was established in the National Security Act of 1947. The HSC also maintained structural similarities with the NSC; the HSC consisted of full-time staff organized by subject areas relating to homeland security missions (who do the day-to-day work in the White House Office, one of the entities comprising the Executive Office of the President), with the Council itself being comprised of Cabinet members and senior White House officials whose departments have principal interests in homeland security policy-making. Cody M. Brown of the Project on National Security Reform wrote that:
The functions of the HSC, as described in the Homeland Security Act, paralleled the functions of the NSC under the National Security Act. In both cases, the HSC and NSC were responsible for assessing the objectives, commitments, and risks of the United States, and for making recommendations to the President with respect to homeland security or national security policies, respectively.[2]
Unlike the Department of Homeland Security, a federal executive department, the HSC functioned as part of the Executive Office of the President, drawing staff from across federal agencies and under the direct control of the President.
HSC staff were assigned to sections, each dealing with a subject area ranging from "Emergency Preparedness and Response" to "Border and Transportation Security." Each section typically had between one and five staff members and was headed by a Senior Director holding the title of Special Assistant to the President. The line-level staff were usually designated as Directors for their given specialty. In some cases, additional staff members were designated as Associate Directors or Deputy Associate Directors. The staff are largely drawn from other federal government agencies as intra-governmental detailees though some have been hired directly from outside the executive branch. Most Senior Directors and Directors are mid- to senior-level government experts in their field and serve one or more years in their respective roles.
The HSC was led by an Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (Homeland Security Advisor). This official had the same rank and was analogous to the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor). Officials who served under Bush as Homeland Security Advisors were, in chronological order, Tom Ridge, John A. Gordon, Frances Townsend, and Kenneth L. Wainstein.
To accomplish its policy coordination role, the HSC used the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC). PCCs were organized topically and were employed as tools by many EOP offices. In some cases, HSC jointly chaired a PCC with another EOP office, such as the National Security Council or Domestic Policy Council. PCCs were typically convened and chaired by a Senior Director and were attended by representatives from other EOP offices (Office of the Vice President, Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Domestic Policy Council, in addition to the National Security Council), as well as all federal agencies with "relevant equities" in the PCC topic area (for the federal executive departments, representatives were usually an Under Secretary or Assistant Secretary).
HSC attempted to seek consensus among the PCC to effect policy coordination. If the PCC is unable to reach consensus or a more formal imprimatur is needed, the policy proposal was brought to the Homeland Security Council principals (the members of the Council itself) or the Deputies Committee (similar to the NSC Deputies Committee). Occasionally the HSC would effect policy by recommending that the President issue executive orders, presidential memoranda, or presidential directives (specifically Homeland Security Presidential Directives, HSPDs).
[edit] Under Barack Obama
On February 23, 2009, the Obama administration released Presidential Study Directive 1 to federal government officials. This memorandum ordered a 60-day interagency review of the White House homeland security and counter-terrorism structure. The review will recommend whether to retain a separate Homeland Security Council or to incorporate some or all of its functions within the NSC.[3][4] There is an ongoing debate among policymakers and observers regarding whether HSC should be retained as an independent entity or merged with the NSC.[5]
On May 26th, 2009, the Homeland Security Council was folded into the National Security Council.[6]
[edit] Membership
Under George W. Bush the following officials were members of the HSC:
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| Chair | George W. Bush (President of the United States) |
| Director |
Ken Wainstein (Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism) |
| Regular Attendees |
Richard B. Cheney (Vice President) |
| Additional Participants |
Condoleezza Rice (Secretary of State) |
The Counsel to the President shall be consulted regarding the agenda of HSC/PC meetings and shall attend any meeting when, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, the Counsel deems it appropriate. The Deputy Director of the Office of Homeland Security shall serve as Executive Secretary of the HSC/PC. Other heads of departments and agencies and senior officials shall be invited, when appropriate."[7]
[edit] United States Homeland Security Advisor
- 2001-2003 Tom Ridge
- 2003 Vacant
- 2003-2004 John A. Gordon
- 2004-2007 Frances M. Fragos Townsend
- 2007-2008 Vacant
- 2008-2009 Kenneth L. Wainstein
- 2009- John O. Brennan
[edit] References
- ^ P.L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (2002).
- ^ Brown, Cody M. "The National Security Council: A Legal History of the President's Most Powerful Advisers." Project on National Security Reform 78, 2008
- ^ Obama Risks Cabinet Clashes to Expand National Security Council
- ^ National Security Structure Is Set
- ^ The Homeland Security Council: Considerations for the FutureHomeland Security Policy Institute. April 2009.
- ^ In Security Shuffle, White House Merges Staffs
- ^ Homeland Security Presidential Directive-1
