Homeland security and economic growth are linked, Napolitano says
Homeland security and economic growth are linked, Napolitano says
The Homeland Security Department is transforming its approach to security and trade, seeking the "sweet spot" between protecting people and "supporting the economic engine that makes America great," DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday.
In her second annual State of America's Homeland Security address -- televised from the National Press Club -- Napolitano gave a bird's eye of the agenda of the department she said may have the government's "most complicated set of missions."
She outlined progress on improving border protection, issued a social justice-tinged call for immigration reform, described the government's new priorities to create more passenger-friendly airport security, and promoted disaster response that more rapidly rebuilds American communities.
"Trade with our international partners accounts for roughly one quarter of our gross domestic product," she said. "In other words, our economy is dependent on our ability to secure and facilitate the flow of people and goods to and from our shores."
In today's global economy, a flood in Thailand, for example, can change the price of a computer hard drive, she said, which is why it is so important that "security and economic growth go hand in hand."
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