Last June, Shane Harris of Government Executive.com wrote an article titled, "Homeland Security could face transition problem." In it he described an election night party held by top DHS officials. At one point in the evening, when it seemed like Sen. Kerry could take the Presidency, he describes a sudden realization among the group that DHS had no transition plan. Who was going to keep the department running until the new administration came in?

Fast forward to 2008. DHS contracted with the Council for Excellence in Government to help develop a transition plan, Secretary Chertoff assembled an Administration Transition Task Force, and DHS recently announced that career civil servants have been named to acting posts within those components that have political appointees running the show.

It sounds like a lot of progress has been made since that night in 2004. Why then is the House Homeland Security Committee threatening to subpoena DHS for its transition documents? DHS' Acting Deputy Secretary Paul Schneider appeared before lawmakers, telling them that DHS' plan was better developed than any other agency. Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson and Rep. William Pascrell would beg to differ, but seeing comprehensive transition plans could put the matter to rest.

DHS provided the Committee with a 7-page presentation outlining the department's transition plans. Pascrell and Thompson have given DHS until May 23 to submit all of the documents, including program information, budget projections, and any other transition planning information.

Considering the fact that governments are highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks during a change in leadership, the resistance to information sharing is puzzling.