House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is causing controversy on Capitol Hill for his decision to have his chief of staff serve as staff director of the committee, as well. The staffer has no security clearance–which would severely undermine his ability to deal with the sensitive issues that come before the committee. Perhaps it’s not such a great detriment, however, given that Thompson has refocused the work of the committee away from homeland security, and toward the agency’s contracting process.
Democratic and Republican congressional aides say there is turmoil within the the House Homeland Security Committee’s majority staff and that oversight work is being eclipsed by a focus on promoting contracting opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses. Sources who spoke only if they could remain anonymous said they are particularly concerned that the committee’s new staff director, I. Lanier Avant, does not have the qualifications to lead the committee and faces a conflict of interest because he continues to serve as chief of staff in the congressional office of House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. They expressed concern that Avant must balance his duties on Thompson’s personal staff, which includes attention to politics and fundraising, and managing the heavy responsibilities of running the committee, which he began doing last month… But sources said the arrangement with Avant has made Thompson’s agenda of reaching out and helping small, minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses secure homeland security contracts the overriding focus of the committee staff. Not enough attention has been paid to broader national security matters, the sources said. Thompson created an electronic newsletter, Business Opportunities at DHS, which includes an e-mail address — [email protected] — that small and disadvantaged businesses can use to tell the committee if they feel they are being treated unfairly by the department.
Democrats claim to be serious about homeland security and national defense, but can’t they come up with more serious concerns about homeland security than DHS’s contracting practices?
