Senator Carper Highlights Support for Key Positions at the Department of Homeland Security and Across the Administration

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, at a Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) hearing, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), a senior member of the Committee, introduced and highlighted the achievements of Jeff Rezmovic, nominee to serve as Chief Financial Officer of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Senator Carper also emphasized the qualifications of Harry Coker, Jr. to serve as National Cyber Director in the Executive Office of the President, and Suzanne E. Summerlin to serve as General Counsel for the Federal Labor Relations Authority.

In his introductory remarks, Senator Carper highlighted Mr. Rezmovic’s demonstrated record of public service, and how, if confirmed, he would play a pivotal role in the fiscal management, integrity, and accountability of DHS:

“I think it has been [a few years] since we had a Senate-confirmed Chief Financial Officer in the Department of Homeland Security. I think that’s awful. An agency with a budget the size of this one – it’s almost a $100 billion budget – that’s unacceptable. I’m hopeful we can take a big step forward to fill that vacancy and a couple of others. Jeff knows DHS better than just about anybody I know. He has served in various leadership roles for over a decade, including as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, as well as Acting Deputy Chief of Staff and as a counselor to the Deputy Secretary. He’s also worked for FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – and for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service. […] His dedication to our country has driven his success, leading him to oversee thousands of employees and drive the Department’s mission to support the functions of human capital security, procurement, information technology, and a whole lot more. Jeff is exceptionally well qualified to serve as the department’s next CFO, and I know his long held institutional knowledge and his extensive experience in budget management will serve our country well.”

Senator Carper also praised Mr. Coker’s public service and emphasized the importance of bolstering the cyber workforce across the government and private sector:

“More than eight years ago, a former colleague and friend of ours, […] Tom Coburn and I worked together to enact legislation that would make it easier for the Department of Homeland Security to hire cybersecurity professionals. Following a lengthy development period, that program has proven […] successful – and DHS has begun hiring under the Cyber Talent Management System. That said, there remains an enduring, urgent need to hire more cybersecurity professionals across the federal government and throughout the private sector. And we must continue to focus on bolstering our cyber workforce to ensure that we’re doing all we can to recruit and retain the best and brightest minds out there to improve our nation’s cybersecurity.”

A video of Senator Carper’s questions at today’s hearing can be found here.

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