Apr 23, 2026
Emergency Management
Moskowitz Unveils Bipartisan Legislative Package to Reform the Department of Homeland Security
Bipartisan legislative package would move Secret Service to the Executive Office of the President, make FEMA an independent agency, and transfer TSA to the Department of Transportation
The package was introduced because DHS has grown too bureaucratic to make decisions, causing its departments to not function properly and receive the attention they need to best serve the American people; This has been further exacerbated because of government funding dysfunction
Since coming to Congress, Moskowitz has led on bipartisan reforms to DHS – different parts of the package have bipartisan support from Congressmen Russel Fry, Byron Donalds, and Tim Burchett
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) unveiled a bipartisan legislative package to reform the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by restructuring key agencies and placing them in departments better aligned with their core missions. As the only former Director of Emergency Management in Congress and as a member of the bipartisan task force investigating the assassination attempt on President Trump, Moskowitz has seen up-close how DHS has become too bureaucratic to make decisions – undermining the ability of departments to function properly and receive the attention they need.
In particular, this legislative package from Moskowitz would move the United States Secret Service (USSS) to the Executive Office of the President, make FEMA an independent agency, and transfer the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) back to the Department of Transportation (DOT).
“DHS has simply grown too big and too vulnerable to political dysfunction,” said Moskowitz. “Let’s be clear: when a department becomes this massive, the mission gets lost. Secret Service needs help and under the current DHS bureaucracy, that reform is never going to happen. FEMA needs to be able to move faster when disaster strikes, and it cannot do that when it is buried inside a massive bureaucracy. And airport security should be aligned with the same FAA that governs our skies. The American peoples travel plans should not be at the whim of political dysfunction in Washington.”
“At the end of the day, this is about making government work better,” Moskowitz concluded. “Security at our airports should not be caught up in unrelated policy fights. Disaster response should not be slowed down by bureaucratic red tape or funding uncertainty. And protecting the President should not depend on the politics of a massive department.”
Details on different legislation in the package is found below.
USSS reform:
The Secret Service Transfer Act, co-led by Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), would move the United States Secret Service to the Executive Office of the President. Following the recent attempt on the President’s life at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the importance of the Secret Service’s mission has never been clearer. This change would ensure the agency receives the focus and resources it needs, rather than being one of many components within DHS’s increasingly large and complex department.
“The United States Secret Service has the grave duty of keeping the President and other U.S. officials safe,” said Rep. Russell Fry (SC-07). “That responsibility has become increasingly crucial in light of the rise of political violence and continuous attacks against President Trump. Moving the Secret Service to the White House allows the organization to uphold its mission while simultaneously giving them more direct accountability to the President of the United States. In a time where political attacks are becoming more and more rampant, the Secret Service should be able to focus solely on its mission of protecting top U.S. officials— not dealing with bureaucratic tape that ultimately serves as a distraction to keeping the President safe.”
FEMA reform:
Moskowitz’s FEMA Independence Act, which he previously introduced with Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL), would remove FEMA from DHS and restore it as an independent, Cabinet-level agency reporting directly to the President. It would also stipulate that FEMA’s Senate-confirmed leader must have “a demonstrated ability in and knowledge of emergency management and homeland security” across the public and private sectors.
“When disaster strikes, quick and effective action must be the standard–not the exception. It is imperative that the bureaucratic labyrinth of FEMA is simplified and streamlined to directly report to the President of the United States to better serve our citizens in their hour of need. I am proud to join Congressman Moskowitz in this innovative initiative to ensure the most efficient disaster relief response for the American people.” said Congressman Donalds.
TSA reform:
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transfer Act that would transfer the TSA back to the DOT, where the agency was originally housed before being moved into DHS in 2003. Co-led by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Chair of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), the legislation would realign airport security with the broader transportation system it serves.
In recent years, TSA officers and American travelers have repeatedly been caught in the middle of Washington funding fights. When DHS funding lapses, TSA officers can be required to report to work without pay, and those disruptions can lead to staffing shortages, longer security lines, and headaches for travelers. Moving TSA back to DOT would help us avoid these unnecessary headaches at the airport, better align traveler security with air travel security, and ensure the American people are no longer paying the price for dysfunction in Washington.
“The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been used as pawns during recent government shutdowns because it is controlled by the Department of Homeland Security,” said Burchett. “Since the Department of Transportation already oversees air travel in the United States, it should also be responsible for overseeing the personnel who provide its security.”
To see the text of each legislation, click below: