House Passes Pfluger Bill to Refocus DHS Intelligence on State and Local Partners

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, spoke in favor of his legislation, the I&A Mission Reorientation Act, on the U.S. House Floor. The legislation passed through the U.S. House of Representatives this week.

The "I&A Mission Reorientation Act of 2026" would update I&A’s statutory responsibility to clearly define its focus, reinforce accountability, and improve operational effectiveness. The legislation would strengthen information sharing with state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners.

“The threats to our homeland are evolving, and it is critical that our intelligence posture keeps pace. The I&A Mission Reorientation Act refocused DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis on its core mission to deliver timely, actionable intelligence to state and local partners on the front lines. By strengthening information sharing and expanding our forward-deployed capabilities, this bill will close critical gaps and ensure intelligence flows swiftly to decision-makers on the ground,” said Subcommittee Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11).

“House Republicans are continuing to put our homeland security and public safety first, passing seven more bipartisan bills from the Committee to ensure Department of Homeland Security personnel can accomplish their core missions. As America faces evolving threats, the Committee is working to enhance the Department’s ability to coordinate effectively with state and local law enforcement, prepare for threats to the agriculture critical infrastructure sector, and support our frontline CBP personnel," said Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew Garbarino (NY-02).

Read Chairman Pfluger's remarks below:

"Last week, the nation marked the 25th anniversary of 9/11 – a day that forever changed American history and the way we think about homeland security. Terrorists did not win that day, or any other day since. The threat of terrorism exposed on 9/11 instead unleashed the force of American patriotism, innovation, and vigilance to ensure our homeland would never be targeted again.

"Preventing another 9/11 is exactly why the Department of Homeland Security was established, including its Office of Intelligence & Analysis. Recognizing that there were gaps in information sharing that hindered cohesive threat assessments, I&A was founded with a mandate unlike any other in the intelligence community: to share intelligence with state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners.

"When information is siloed or fails to reach the appropriate stakeholders at the right time, threats to our homeland can materialize in the blind spots that are created as a result – and there are no shortage of threats today, as terror groups move and adapt to evade detection by our law enforcement and intelligence communities.

"Actionable intelligence in the right hands, at the right time is a competitive advantage for the U.S. over those who may seek to do us harm, contributing to the Department’s no-fail mission.

At the same time, in the past twenty-five years, I&A has experienced an all-too-familiar mission creep, favoring intelligence support to the Department concentrated here in DC that distracts from its field-oriented mission.

"Information sharing is hindered when I&A personnel and priorities are more attuned to DC than to building trust, maintaining presence, and contributing to information networks within state and local law enforcement partners. An I&A that fails to prioritize the field is insufficiently postured to meet today’s threats.

"The I&A Mission Reorientation Act is the first step towards reversing this trend and realigning I&A with its foundational mission. It amends I&A’s statutory authorization to affirm that its operational mission is to provide intelligence support to state, local, tribal, and territorial partners – by leveraging forward-deployed intelligence capabilities, engaging with fusion centers, and facilitating two-way information flows.

"It additionally requires I&A to update Congress on progress made, providing the necessary oversight to make this realignment a reality.

"This bill is the result of months of bipartisan collaboration across this Committee and with the Department. It has advanced unanimously twice this year – in both subcommittee and full committee markups.

"Today, I urge my colleagues to support its passage once more, reaffirming what Congress intended twenty-five years ago when the Office of Intelligence & Analysis was created."