The Aspen Institute

Congress can assume one of its strongest roles in protecting Americans through clear, direct oversight of homeland security, yet more than 100 committees and subcommittees assert jurisdiction over the US Department of Homeland Security. The 20-minute movie “Homeland Confusion,” produced by The Documentary Group for the Annenberg Public Policy Center, examines how and why fragmented Congressional oversight of DHS leaves our nation more vulnerable than it should be to the threat of cyber, biological, and chemical attack.

This one-hour screening will include a question-and-answer session with former DHS Secretary and Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA) and former Rep. John Tanner (D-TN). A new study marking the 13th anniversary of the Hart-Rudman Commission’s final report, which called for single points of oversight for homeland security in both the House and the Senate, also will be released.

This event is sponsored by the Aspen Institute Justice & Society Program and the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

RELATED CONTENT:

• Report: Streamlining and Consolidating Congressional Oversight of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

• Report: Alarms Unheeded: Lessons on the 13th Anniversary of the Final Hart-Rudman Report