Katko named to serve as ranking member on House Committee on Homeland Security

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — U.S. Representative John Katko (R–Camillus) will serve as ranking member on the House Committee on Homeland Security.

In this role, Katko will serve as the top Republican on the committee and will prioritize efforts to thwart terrorism, bolster border security, and address the nation’s cybersecurity “vulnerabilities.”

The House Republican Steering Committee elected him to the committee on Monday, per Katko’s office.

Katko again defeated Democratic challenger Dana Balter in the most recent election for the 24th Congressional District of New York. The newly reelected lawmaker says he’s “truly honored” to serve as a ranking member on that committee.

He says that the nation is now facing “unprecedented and evolving” threats.

“We must take a deliberate and commonsense approach to improve security on our borders, combat new threats in cyberspace, remain vigilant against terrorist threats, and improve the [U.S.] Department of Homeland Security’s [DHS] ability to identify and combat risks to our national security. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, and as a New Yorker, I will remain focused on ensuring top terror targets are secure and that there is a close partnership with DHS. I’m ready to get to work and look forward to working with [committee] chairman [Bennie] Thompson on these critical issues,” Katko said i

The House Committee on Homeland Security was founded in 2002 in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept.11, 2001. It has jurisdiction over policy related to national security, oversees six subcommittees, and conducts oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, an agency with over 240,000 federal employees and an annual budget of over $50 billion.

Katko history on committee

Katko has served in a number of leadership roles on the House Committee on Homeland Security. In the 114th and 115th Congress, he served as chairman of the subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security. As chairman, Katko advanced legislation that “bolstered” transportation security and conducted oversight over the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Secret Service.

He also led the committee’s Foreign Fighter Task Force, a bipartisan group of members that advanced policies to prevent terrorism.

In the 116th Congress, Katko served as ranking member of the cybersecurity, infrastructure protection, and innovation subcommittee. In this role, he led efforts to improve the country’s cyber defenses and secure election systems.