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House of Representatives

Elo Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act of 2026

2026-07-13 Issue 113 Showing 1–6 of 6

A bill to reorganize some Department of Homeland Security offices. The parties discussed the bill and congratulated each other.

Official Congressional Record ↗

Andrew R. Garbarino

Republican

“I want to pass a bill to reorganize a government office. It will spend money on some things.”

Andrew R. Garbarino

Republican

“I want this bill to pass. It will reorganize a government office. That will cost money. I hope it makes things more efficient.”

Official Congressional Record

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.

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James R. Walkinshaw

Democrat

“I don't object to this bill. It might cost money. I hope it makes things more efficient. But don't use it to fire people. We need a big DHS staff to keep us safe.”

Official Congressional Record

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. 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.

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Gabe Evans

Republican 5:00 p.m.

“This bill is good. It puts two offices into one. DHS will work with local cops. I was a cop. I want information shared between cops and intelligence. Democrats want to weaken cops. This bill helps cops. Cops need information from the government. No one can fight crime alone. This bill will help fight crime before tragedy happens. I want you to support this bill.”

Official Congressional Record

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. 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. Defund-the-police antics create public safety conflicts and confusion for law enforcement officers who are trying to serve and protect their communities. This bill ensures that State and local agencies can easily and frequently access the resources they require from their Federal partners when they are facing threats that require Federal backing. By reorganizing the ELO Office and realigning its essential functions within I&A's partner engagement directorate, this bill streamlines coordination between law enforcement agencies, enhances information- sharing mechanisms, and reduces duplicative actions. This ensures responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and it makes sure that State and local law enforcement agencies have the information that they need when they are facing those national or international threats. Time and again, we wait for tragedies to remind us that we have to incentivize interagency collaboration. This bill takes the fight to the streets, and it makes sure that we are preventively getting these resources to our State and local law enforcement agencies, because no single law enforcement agency can effectively address the full spectrum of threats without that combined resource. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge support for this bipartisan piece of legislation and support for the millions of State and local law enforcement officers across our country.

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James R. Walkinshaw

Democrat 5:00 p.m.

“I want to make sure this bill doesn't cut funding for my preferred program. If it doesn't cut funding, I agree with the bill.”

Andrew R. Garbarino

Republican 5:00 p.m.

“I want this bill to pass. The government should spend money on this. I congratulate my friend on this good bill.”

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