Edited sentence: Drawing on the recommendations of the Hart-Rudman Commission, Mac’s bill served as the foundation for the legislation that established the Department of Homeland Security.He believes it is essential for the United States to develop a deep understanding of terrorism in order to take appropriate action to prevent its spread.He has been asked by the Speaker of the House to lead an initiative on cybersecurity, which will focus Congress’s efforts to combat the growing national security and economic threat.He helped lead congressional efforts to create the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is charged with ensuring the nuclear weapons complex is properly managed and that the nuclear weapons stockpile remains viable and a part of the strategic deterrent against future adversaries.Mac also has pushed strategic communications issues, as well as advocating for greater interagency cooperation in the fight against violent extremists.National security is one of the issues of which Thornberry is widely-respected and where he has made a mark in terms of legislation.Six months before 9/11,  he introduced a bill to establish a National Homeland Security Agency to better protect our country from terrorist attacks.The Panhandle native has consistently been on the leading edge of critical national security issues, from homeland security and nonproliferation to transformation of the military, nuclear deterrence, and cybersecurity.Widely-respected as an innovator and strategic thinker, Thornberry was one of the first in Congress to recognize the need to confront the threat of terrorism