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Letters & CommentsChristine Wormuth
Christine E. Wormuth is a senior fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she works on defense and homeland security issues, including emergency response and preparedness challenges, homeland security policy development, defense strategy and resources, and the capabilities and readiness of the U.S. military. Wormuth has held a variety of jobs in the defense world. She was a principal at DFI Government Services (now DeticaDFI), where she developed and managed projects for clients at the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. She has worked in the Policy Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, was a French desk officer during and after the September 11 attacks, and was special assistant to the under secretary for policy.
AUTHOR:Jeremy White
Jeremy White is research assistant in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he works on issues relating to homeland defense, Iraq, homeland security policy, and future military readiness. He also served in 2007 as a member of the staff on the Jones Commission studying the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces. Mr. White is a graduate of Georgetown University, he can be contacted at jwhite@csis.org
Merging the HSC and NSC: Stronger Together
ABSTRACT:
At the federal level, homeland security is inherently and fundamentally an interagency undertaking.
The quality of interagency relationships and processes is central to the success or failure of federal — and national — homeland security activities.
Short of giving a single Cabinet secretary directive authority over other Cabinet secretaries during major domestic incidents, the only way to ensure effective unity of effort at the federal level is to exercise strong leadership from the White House.
This kind of leadership is needed not just during an actual catastrophe but also when the government is engaged in the day-to-day activities of working to prevent, protect against, and prepare for such catastrophes.
In recent years the White House has not played this role, in large part because of the bifurcation of national security issues into a National Security Council and a Homeland Security Council.
This article thus suggests that one of the most important and necessary changes the new administration should make is to merge these organizations into a single council with a largely shared professional staff.
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SUGGESTED CITATION:
Wormuth, Christine E. and Jeremy White. “Merging the HSC and NSC: Stronger Together.” Homeland Security Affairs V, no. 1 (January 2009)http://www.hsaj.org/?article=5.1.3