Is DHS Effectively Implementing a Strategy to Counter Emerging Threats?

In December 2009 Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano gave a speech to her Department. She said, "I see one DHS as a strong, efficient, and focused department—one where all the talents and skills that we possess as individuals and as components come together and come together in new and exciting ways to serve our missions." The Department of Homeland Security is the third-largest department in the Federal Government, with more than 200,000 employees and an annual budget of more than $40 billion. Its transformation, according to the GAO, is critical to achieving its homeland security mission. However, the agency has been criticized for excessive bureaucracy, waste, ineffectiveness, and lack of transparency that have hindered its operations and wasted taxpayer dollars.