Home
/
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
/
Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Homeland Security Secretary
Understanding the President’s Cabinet: Homeland Security Secretary
Mar 18, 2025 12:06 PM

Note: This is post #15 in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere.

Cabinet position:Secretary of Homeland Security

Department: Department of Homeland Security

Current Secretary:John F. Kelly

Succession:The Secretary of Homeland Security is 18th (and last) in the presidential line of succession.

Department Mission:“To secure the nation from the many threats we face. This requires the dedication of more than 240,000 employees in jobs that range from aviation and border security to emergency response, from cybersecurity analyst to chemical facility inspector. Our duties are wide-ranging, and our goal is clear – keeping America safe.” (Source)

Department Budget:$40.6 billion for FY 2017

Number of employees: More than 240,000.

Primary Duties of the Secretary:“The Secretary of Homeland Security leads the third largest Department of the U.S. government, with a workforce of 229,000 employees and ponents including TSA, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Secret Service. Under the Secretary’s leadership, DHS is responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, border security, port security, maritime security, administration and enforcement of our immigration laws, protection of our national leaders, protection of critical infrastructure, detection of and protection against chemical, biological and nuclear threats to the homeland, and response to disasters.” (Source)

Secretary Info

Secretary:John F. Kelly

Previous occupation:A general in the U.S. Marine Corps (four star) serving mander of the U.S. Southern Command.

Education:B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Boston; Master of Science in National Security Studies from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service.

Previous government experience:Commandant’s Liaison Officer to the U.S. House of Representatives; Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

Notable achievements:

• Served in the U.S. Marine Corps, both enlisted and as an officer, for 45 years.

• Awarded the Legion of Merit (with one star and Combat V).

• Commanded Task Force Tripoli, which took the city of Baghdad during the Iraq War.

• Was the first Marine colonel since 1951 to be promoted to brigadier general while in bat.

Notable quotes:

On his role as HS Secretary: “The American people voted in this election to stop terrorism, take back sovereignty at our borders, and put a stop to political correctness that for too long has dictated our approach to national security.”

On the U.S. border: “The border is, if not wide open, then certainly open enough to get what the demand requires inside of the country. Terrorist organizations could seek to leverage those same smuggling routes to move operatives with intent to cause grave harm to our citizens or even bring weapons of mass destruction into the United States.”

On veterans killed bat: “Remember them for the heroes they are, for mitment they made, for the price they paid, and pray for their families and their loved ones, and their friends, they left behind. Keep memorial day sacred, for this purpose. Never forget. We owe them at least that much.”

Previous and ing posts in this series:Secretary of State,Secretary of the Treasury,Secretary of Education, Secretary of Labor,Secretary of Defense, Attorney General,Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce,Secretary of Health and Human Services,Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy,Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Homeland Security

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
RELIGION & LIBERTY ONLINE
Lifesaving Drones: ‘No One Deserves to Die at Sea’
Drones can be used for great evil, but they can also save lives. In the past decade, more than 20,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Desperate people work with smugglers and board overcrowded and hazardous boats, attempting to escape war-torn and dangerous countries in the Middle East. Christopher Catrambone, an American living in Malta has decided to use one of the most controversial tools of the 21st century to try and save these people. Forget the...
Supreme Court to Lower Court: Reconsider Decision Against Notre Dame
Earlier today the Supreme Court threw out an appeals court decision that went against the University of Notre Dame over its religious objections to the Obamacare health law’s contraception requirement. Last summer the high court ruled that Hobby Lobby Stores Ltd could, on religious grounds, seek exemptions from the contraception provision. Because this case, Notre Dame v. Burwell, was the only appeals court decision on the issue that pre-dated that ruling, the Supreme Court sent it back to the Seventh...
No, Socialism Wouldn’t Succeed ‘If Only Men Were Angels’
When arguing about the merits of a free economy, its defenders often give way to apeculiar line of reasoning that goes something like this: “Socialism would be wonderful if it actually worked, and it could actually work if only men were angels.” Such claims are meantto framesocialists as foolish idealists obsessed with their sillyutopias. But for those of us who believe there’sa certain idealism to thefree society, it’s a rather appalling concession. Indeed,the fundamental problem with socialism isn’t so much...
International Women’s Day Is No Cause To Celebrate in China
It’s no secret that the Chinese “one-child policy” has been brutal. Forced abortion and forced sterilizations have mon for decades. The policy has also left China will a dearth of females, causing issues with men finding suitable spouses and an uptick in human trafficking. Reggie Littlejohn, President of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers, says that while many women around the world are celebrating International Women’s Day, it is not cause for celebration in China. Littlejohn: I find it impossible to celebrate...
7 Figures: Global Violence Against Women
The United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women recently released a report that includes data on gender-based violence. Here are seven sets of figures on violence against girls and women that are based on their data: 1. Recent global estimates show that 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partnersexual violence in their lifetime. While there is some variation across regions, all regions have unacceptably high rates of violence against women....
Interview: High School ‘Acton Club’
Members of the “Acton Club” of West Catholic High School Culture has either an overly optimistic view of youth culture, or an overly dour and depressing one. However, neither view is entirely true, nor are such disparate opinions very helpful. The unavoidable truth is this: younger generations will have to bear increasingly more difficult levels of financial, and societal responsibility in ing years. To put it mildly their future will not be an easy walk in the park. However, in...
Now Available: ‘Psalms I’ by Frans van Deursen
Christian’s Library Press has now releasedPsalms I, the fourth primer in itsOpening the Scripturesseries, and the first in a two-part release on the book of Psalms. Written by Dutch Reformed minister Frans van Deursen, and newly translated by Nelson D. Kloosterman, the volume provides an introduction to Psalms, a book which serves as“the oldest songbook that God’s people possess,” as well as the “oldest breviary or prayer book,” the authorwrites. Like other volumes in the series, Psalms I is neither...
Religious Left Preps ‘Grassroots’ Strategy for Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical
Pope Francis If I were to publicly announce a Bible study meeting at the local public library, one can imagine the hue and cry from secularists fretting about a looming right-wing theocratic takeover of America. Change the subject to Pope Francis’ ing encyclical on climate change, however, and all you hear are crickets chirping from the separation of church and state crowd. ments on the encyclical here from Acton’s Kishore Jayabalan) It’s interesting to note that – when not attempting...
In Brazil, A Genius Way To Clean Water
It’s no secret that much of the world has a hard time accessing clean drinking water. In Latin America and the Caribbean, for example, it is estimated that 36 million people have no regular access to clean water. This doesn’t just mean people are thirsty; unclean water leads to a host of health problems. Water.org states that somewhere in the world, a child dies every minute because of a water-borne illness. In São Paulo, Brazil, about 12 million people have...
Explainer: What You Should Know About Right-to-Work Laws
Today Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation making Wisconsin the nation’s 25th right-to-work state. Here is what you should know about right-to-work laws: What is a right-to-work law? right-to-work laws are state laws that guarantee a person cannot pelled to join or pay dues to a labor union as a condition of employment. Why are right-to-work laws considered a matter of economic freedom? Economic freedom exists when people have the liberty to produce, trade, and consume legitimate goods and services that...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved