Moreover, in a recent report to Congress on initial concerns about  organizing for homeland security since September 11th, GAO indicated that  a definition of homeland security should be developed, preferably in the  context of the Administration’s issuance of a national strategy for  homeland security, in order to improve the effectiveness and coordination  of relevant programs. Organizational Principles and Criteria

The Congress faces a challenging and complex job in its consideration of  DHS. The  President created OHS via executive order. Congress passed legislation  creating the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to better secure  transportation and the USA Patriot Act to improve our capabilities to  detect and prevent terrorist acts. On June 6th, President Bush announced a new proposal to create a  Department of Homeland Security and submitted draft legislation to  Congress on June 18th. The homeland security proposal is silent on the  relationship between those entities that will be consolidated and their role  in coordinating with the entities left out of the new department, and  Congress should consider addressing this important issue. These questions are relevant for DHS and every other  federal agency and activity. The President has taken a significant first step by establishing a  transition planning office in the Office of Management and Budget. The proposed legislation provides for the new department to reach out to  state and local governments and the private sector to coordinate and  integrate planning, communications, information, and recovery efforts  addressing homeland security. Maintenance of effort provisions can be included to  protect against such risk.
What GAO Found

Since September 11, the President and Congress have taken aggressive steps to protect the nation, including creating an Office of Homeland Security (OHS); passing new laws, such as the USA Patriot Act and an emergency supplemental spending bill; establishing a new agency to improve transportation security; and working with federal, state, and local governments, private sector entities, non-governmental organizations and other countries to prevent future terrorist acts and to bring those individuals responsible to justice. More recently, Congress and the President have proposed greater consolidation and coordination of various agencies and activities. The President has proposed establishing a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and has sent draft legislation to Congress. This testimony focuses on two major issues: (1) the need for reorganization and the principles and criteria to help evaluate what agencies and missions should be included in or left out of the new DHS and (2) issues related to the transition, cost, and implementation challenges of the new department.