Schumer Slams Homeland Security's Mediocrity

Senator Charles Schumer issued another annual report card grading the Department of Homeland Security's efforts. The good news is that the grade is up from last year's C-minus. The bad news is that Schumer still gave it a C, noting, "Six years after 9/11, the progress the Department of Homeland Security has made in securing our country is shameful," and "When your kid comes home with a C on his report card on something vital, you're not very happy...That is not a grade we can be proud of."

Schumer gave many areas poor grades. He gave an F for preparedness and response; as WABC 7 reports, it means "communication handicaps rescue workers experienced on 9/11 have still not been adequately fixed." Schumer gave mass transit a D+, border security a C, nuclear/chemical/ biological security a B-, airport security a C+ and port security a C-.

Schumer believes that Homeland Security has, per AMNY, "a lack of focus, funding and follow-through." A Homeland Security spokesman responds that the department is focusing on nuclear or radioactive threats, "It's quite easy for a member of Congress to come up with a convenient sound bite and say we have to protect all people in all places all the time but that's unreasonable."