ELO REALIGNMENT AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT REFORM ACT OF 2026

On 2026-07-13, Representative James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA-11) delivered a floor speech titled "ELO REALIGNMENT AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT REFORM ACT OF 2026" in the House.

ELO REALIGNMENT AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT REFORM ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4398-H4400] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ELO REALIGNMENT AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT REFORM ACT OF 2026 Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7574) to provide for the reorganization and realignment of the Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach Office of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. [[Page H4399]] The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7574 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. PLAN FOR REORGANIZATION AND REALIGNMENT OF DHS ENGAGEMENT, LIAISON, AND OUTREACH OFFICE. (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a comprehensive plan to carry out the following: (1) An identification of redundant or non-essential positions, programs, or functions within the Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach office, including how reorganization of the Office will address such redundant or non-essential positions, programs, or functions. (2) Realign the essential functions and personnel of the ELO Office within the Partner Engagement directorate of I&A. (3) Improve the management and coordination of strategic relationships with priority law enforcement agencies, including by carrying out the following: (A) Establishing clear communication protocols. (B) Centralizing points of contact for law enforcement engagement. (C) Enhancing information-sharing mechanisms. (D) Reducing duplication of outreach across Department of Homeland Security components. (E) Improving accountability and performance metrics related to stakeholder engagement. (b) Plan Requirements.--The plan required under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) Organizational analysis justifying the reorganization and realignment, including cost-benefit estimates, under paragraph (1) of such subsection. (2) Detailed staffing proposals, including reassignment plans. (3) A transition timeline for implementing the realignment within the Partner Engagement directorate of I&A, in accordance with paragraph (2) of such subsection. (4) Internal oversight mechanisms to monitor implementation of such plan. (5) Recommendations for future engagement models that reduce redundancy and improve efficiency in managing law enforcement and homeland security partnerships with priority law enforcement agencies. (6) Assurance of continuity of intelligence support and convenings currently being provided to SLTT entity partners through the ELO office, including relevant HSIN-INTEL access. (c) Certification.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a certification not later than 60 days after commencing implementation of the plan required under subsection (a). (d) Limitation on Expansion.--Until such time as the Secretary of Homeland Security submits the plan required under subsection (a) and certifies commencement of the implementation of such plan under subsection (c), the Secretary may not-- (1) expand the staffing, budget, or programmatic scope of the ELO Office; or (2) establish new offices in the Department duplicating the mission of the ELO Office or the Partner Engagement directorate of I&A without specific congressional authorization. (e) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the Department of Homeland Security. (2) ELO office.--The term ``ELO Office'' means the Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach office within the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) of the Department of Homeland Security. (3) I&A.--The term ``I&A'' means the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security. (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland Security. (5) SLTT entity.--The term ``SLTT entity'' has the meaning given such term in section 2200 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 650). (6) Priority law enforcement agencies.--The term ``priority law enforcement agencies'' means Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies identified by the Secretary as key partners for national security, counterterrorism, emergency response, or other mission-critical operations. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York. General Leave Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 7574. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York? There was no objection. Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 7574, the ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act of 2026. The Department of Homeland Security's Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach, or ELO, Office operates as a separate office within the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. Despite their similar functions, ELO operates separately from I&A's Partner Engagement directorate, which facilitates information flow and access for State, local, Tribal, and territorial partners. The ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act will require the DHS Secretary to develop a comprehensive plan to reorganize the ELO office and realign it with the work of I&A's Partner Engagement directorate to streamline operations and eliminate redundancies. This plan must specifically address ways to improve coordination with law enforcement agencies, centralize points of contact, and enhance information sharing. Madam Speaker, I thank Representative Evans for his leadership. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WALKINSHAW. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, engagement with State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement is essential to the Department of Homeland Security's mission to secure the homeland. State and local law enforcement partners must have clear points of contact within DHS to maximize information sharing and collaboration on issues like emergency and cybersecurity incident response. H.R. 7574 aims to ensure this by directing the Secretary of Homeland Security to realign the functions and personnel within the Office of Intelligence and Analysis' Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach office. Madam Speaker, while it is important for State and local officials to have clear points of contact at DHS for information sharing and collaboration, H.R. 7574's requirement to identify redundancies at the Office of Intelligence and Analysis should not, I hope, be viewed as a pretext to reduce I&A's workforce. {time} 1700 I&A is charged with delivering timely and actionable intelligence to our law enforcement on the front lines and unnecessarily slashing their capacity could unintentionally create security gaps and make our communities more vulnerable to cyber terror attacks and other threats. While I understand that H.R. 7574 seeks to improve DHS relationships with law enforcement agencies by establishing clear communication protocols and centralizing points of contact for law enforcement engagement, I urge DHS to consult with Congress on the implementation of this bill and before any staffing changes or reductions are made. We need to strengthen, not undermine I&A's ability to protect the homeland. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans). Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. I also thank my bipartisan partner on this, Representative Goldman, for his efforts on this bill. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan bill, the ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act. This bill consolidates the functions of two existing Department of Homeland Security offices tasked with public safety coordination into one centralized point of contact. DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis, also known as I&A, is the only entity in the U.S. intelligence community responsible for delivering intelligence directly to State and local law enforcement agencies. [[Page H4400]] As a former cop for over a decade in the Denver metro area, I know there is nothing more critical to law enforcement operations than open communication between local, State, and Federal agencies. Information sharing between the men and women on the front lines and Federal intelligence counterparts ensures that bad actors, often tied to international criminal organizations like cartels and terrorist groups, are removed from our streets as quickly as possible. From my own experience, I know that State and local law enforcement often face national and international threats: terrorists, cartels, cyberattacks, and foreign enemy regimes. This bill supports State and local law enforcement when they encounter those national or those international threats. Unfortunately, in my home State of Colorado, Denver Democrats are often more concerned about finding ways to weaken law enforcement operations and attacking our brave officers rather than prioritizing public safety. D

Referenced legislation: HR7574, HR7574