HR 5956 Introduced – DHS in NSC

Last week, Rep Katko (R,NY) introduced HR 5956, the National Security Council Membership Act of 2021. The bill would amend 50 USC 3021 to include the Secretary of DHS as member of the National Security Council. DHS has been unofficially included as part of the ‘such other officers of the United States Government as the President may designate’ portion of §101(c)(1) being amended by this bill.

Neither Katko nor his sole cosponsor {Rep Thompson (D,MS)} are members of House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs or Intelligence Committees to which this bill was assigned for consideration. This means that it is unlikely that bill will be considered by any of those committees, especially since the prestige of those committee chairs is enhanced (with respect to the Homeland Security Committee) by DHS not being on the NSC list. I suspect that there would be bipartisan support for this bill if it were to make it to the floor of the House.

Bills Introduced – 11-12-21

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate meeting in pro forma session there were 26 bills introduced. Three of those bills may receive additional attention in this blog:

HR 5956 To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to require the National Security Council's membership to include the Secretary of Homeland Security. Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]

HR 5960 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for engagements with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, and for other purposes. Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

HR 5962 To manage supply chain risk through counterintelligence training, and for other purposes. Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

I will be following HR 5956.

I will be watching HR 5960 and HR 5962 for language and definitions that would specifically include cybersecurity, chemical security, or possibly transportation security within the coverage of the bill.