Dina Titus invites Homeland Security secretary to Las Vegas

By Lisa Mascaro

Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 | 2:49 p.m.

WASHINGTON - Democratic Rep. Dina Titus on Thursday invited Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to visit Nevada and pressed her to remain vigilant in protecting hotels, resorts and other soft targets as the nation focuses its attention on air travel safety following the thwarted Christmas Day attack.

Titus was among House Democrats from the Homeland Security Committee who met with Napolitano for about an hour.

The Homeland Security secretary had faced criticism for being a no-show at last week’s committee hearing, drawing complaints from both sides of the political aisle when a deputy was sent in her place. The committee had set the hearing to investigate the attempted terror attack on a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day.

Napolitano agreed Thursday to begin holding monthly meetings with committee Democrats to keep them better informed. She will appear before the full committee next week to discuss her department’s budget.

“I think she realized she needs to be the spokesman for the department, not somebody else,” Titus said.

Napolitano faced serious criticism after the Christmas Day incident when she suggested that the system worked, even though a passenger with an explosive device affixed to his underwear had been able to bypass security and board a plane.