Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified in the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security oversight hearing on Tuesday, answering a variety of questions about the way the administration is handling immigration and other issues.
The Department of Homeland Security is one of the largest federal branches that oversees over 270,000 employees across multiple agencies — one of those being the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Noem said she has refocused CISA from targeting misinformation and instead has redirected the agency to secure critical infrastructure.
Last year, CISA partnered with local agencies ahead of the 2024 presidential election to ensure security and combat false information.
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Noem fielded some questions regarding an update on the investigation into a hack the government has named "Salt Typhoon." That was when at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations were impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign last fall.
Democratic representatives on the subcommittee questioned Noem about plans that were revealed for a military parade on President Donald Trump's birthday, June 14, which is a newly added element to the U.S. Army's long-planned 250th birthday festival on the National Mall.
Noem confirmed that the event has been designated as a special security event, which means that the department will be spending money to secure it with members of the Secret Service and other agencies.
She was also asked about the multimillion-dollar ads touting Homeland Security's efforts titled “Stronger Borders, Stronger America Campaign.”
Noem said the television advertisements, aired both nationally and internationally, cost roughly $200 million and are meant to encourage self-deportation, which she felt the media has not highlighted enough on its own.
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