DHS has serious and well-documented deficiencies. Among them is an abundance of political appointees, which means high turnover and a regular loss of institutional knowledge. Moreover, DHS's authorities are plagued by a host of jurisdictional conflicts between federal, state, and local governments and the private sector when it comes to disaster preparedness and response. The struggle to respond to Hurricane Katrina is a prime example. And the overabundance of congressional oversight runs in direct opposition to one of the key recommendations of the 9/11 commission, which urged a more streamlined oversight process.

We worry too much about things being to big to fail ...