Airport Alert: Confirmation Hearing Held for Chad Wolf to Become DHS Secretary
September 23, 2020
The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing this morning for Chad Wolf to become the next Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Immediately after being confirmed as the Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for DHS on November 13, 2019, Wolf was elevated to serve as Acting Secretary for DHS. On September 10, 2020, President Trump officially nominated Wolf to permanently fill the Secretary of DHS position. If confirmed, he will be the seventh DHS Secretary.
The nomination hearing largely focused on recent whistleblower complaints on intelligence sharing and immigration matters, violence against law enforcement, election security, and disaster relief. There was very little discussion about aviation-related issues. However, in responding to a question from Senator James Lankford (R-OK) about DHS needs, Wolf highlighted a request for additional funding to hire Customs and Border Protection officers, noting that due to coronavirus, user fee collections that fund about one-third of these officers are down significantly. Wolf stressed the importance of officers' work at land ports of entry along the Southwest border and did not specifically mention officers working at airports.
At the end of the nomination hearing, Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) promised to move this nomination "as expeditiously as possible", noting the importance of having a confirmed Secretary of DHS.
For more details, here are links to the confirmation hearing and Wolf's written statement.
The nomination hearing largely focused on recent whistleblower complaints on intelligence sharing and immigration matters, violence against law enforcement, election security, and disaster relief. There was very little discussion about aviation-related issues. However, in responding to a question from Senator James Lankford (R-OK) about DHS needs, Wolf highlighted a request for additional funding to hire Customs and Border Protection officers, noting that due to coronavirus, user fee collections that fund about one-third of these officers are down significantly. Wolf stressed the importance of officers' work at land ports of entry along the Southwest border and did not specifically mention officers working at airports.
At the end of the nomination hearing, Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) promised to move this nomination "as expeditiously as possible", noting the importance of having a confirmed Secretary of DHS.
For more details, here are links to the confirmation hearing and Wolf's written statement.
