About the Career of Ms. Kathy Kraninger, Clerk, Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Senate Committee on Appropriations
Ms. Kraninger currently serves as the clerk of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which provides the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) discretionary budget of $40 billion. She applies her expertise in homeland security policy, programs, and operations to the Subcommittee’s oversight of DHS as well as to its legislative activities in analyzing the budget request and prior year budget execution; proposing, planning, and executing hearings; drafting the Senate bill and report; and driving legislation to enactment.
As clerk, Ms. Kraninger manages the subcommittee staff for full committee Chairman Thad Cochran (R-MS) and subcommittee Chairman John Hoeven (R-ND). In the 113th Congress, she supported full committee Vice Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and subcommittee Ranking Member Dan Coats (R-IN). Prior to that, she served on the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Homeland Security where she handled the border security and immigration portfolio.
Her portfolio over the years has spanned homeland security and transportation matters including border security, immigration enforcement, transportation security, port security, screening programs, visa issuance, identity management, intelligence, infrastructure protection, trade enforcement, counterdrug efforts, and information sharing. Ms. Kraninger has also supported executive branch processes related to strategic planning, policy development, legislation, regulation, management, budget formulation and execution, acquisition, program management, international cooperation, privacy, and research and development.
Prior to returning to Capitol Hill, Ms. Kraninger was a principal with The Sentinel HS Group, a strategic consulting firm providing advice and assistance on homeland security matters to both public and private sector clients.
From July 2006 through November 2009, Ms. Kraninger served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy (Screening Coordination) at DHS, managing the Screening Coordination Office (SCO). As the first SCO employee, Ms. Kraninger successfully established the office, hired its staff and introduced the SCO mission to its stakeholders both internal and external – a mission that continues today. Under Ms. Kraninger’s leadership, the Department launched the one-stop redress process for travelers through DHS TRIP; integrated its approach to air passenger pre-screening; and implemented significant enhancements to screening processes, such as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
Previously, Ms. Kraninger served as a Professional Staff Member for Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), then Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. During that time, Ms. Kraninger was one of two principal drafters of the SAFE Port Act who shepherded that legislation to Senate passage and ultimately enactment. In addition, she participated in the Committee’s investigation into Hurricane Katrina. Ms. Kraninger worked as a Policy Advisor to DHS Secretary Ridge at the start of DHS and prior to that for Secretary Mineta at the Department of Transportation through the aftermath of September 11th and the stand-up of the Transportation Security Administration.
Ms. Kraninger graduated magna cum laude from Marquette University and earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. She served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine.
