Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issued the first Action Directives on January 21, 2009 to gather information, review existing strategies and programs, and to provide oral and written reports on the Protection mission of the Department.

Federal Coordinator Douglas O’Dell calls the signing of the SELA Agreement on January 16, 2009 a milestone toward the President’s commitment to a full recovery for New Orleans and Governor Jindal’s hard work.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate released the Record of Decision on the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility on January 16, 2009. Manhattan, Kan., has been selected as the site for a state-of the-art, high-security laboratory facility to study foreign animal and zoonotic (transferable from animal to human) diseases that can impact livestock.

Federal Coordinator Douglas O’Dell calls the signing of the 30-year repayment agreements with the State of Louisiana unprecedented, affirms President’s commitment to rebuilding and applauds Governor Jindal on January 16, 2009.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Ready Campaign, in partnership with The Advertising Council, introduced a series of new social media tools on January 16, 2009 to further engage Americans in taking steps to prepare for emergencies.

Secretary-Designate Janet A. Napolitano, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on her confirmation hearing as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary on January 15, 2009.

Secretary-Designate Janet A. Napolitano, before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on her confirmation hearing as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary on January 15, 2009.

General Douglas O'Dell, Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, announced there have been more than 56,000 hits since mid-August on the Transparency Initiative Web Tool, first unveiled by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding (OFC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in early 2008. The Web tool is designed to infuse greater accountability and transparency into the public assistance process and to empower local decision makers and residents with invaluable information on rebuilding critical sectors of their local communities.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that upgraded biometric technology is in place at major U.S. ports of entry, and most international visitors should expect to use the new technology when they enter the United States. DHS’s US-VISIT program began upgrading its biometric technology from a two to a 10 fingerprint collection standard in 2007 to make the entry process faster and more accurate, enabling DHS officials to focus their attention on people who may pose a risk to the United States.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced an Interim Final Rule that replaces the current Guam Visa Waiver Program (VWP) with a new Visa Waiver Program for Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). This rule also authorizes the department's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to establish as many as six new ports of entry in the region in order to administer and enforce the Guam-CNMI VWP and to allow for immigration inspections under the Immigration and Nationality Act.