Janet Napolitano Is Not Looking Forward to Her Meeting With This GOP Congressman

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks during an election night victory celebration Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

The incoming chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is getting right down to business. Among other things, he wants to know why the Obama administration is trying so hard to downplay the threat of terrorism and why the Department of Homeland Security has been "mismanaged" and "dysfunctional."

McCaul has already scheduled a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to discuss his lengthy list of grievances regarding how the Obama administration has failed to address the "T-word."

"There is definitely an attempt to downgrade the threat [of terrorism] by the administration," McCaul told FoxNews.com. "They don't use the T-word."

According to the 50-year-old Republican, the Department of Homeland Security is "mismanaged, dysfunctional and wasting money." In fact, the inefficiency of the department concerns McCaul so badly, scheduling a meeting with Napolitano was one of the first things he did following his appointment as chairman.

"It's an important and difficult job to run this department, but I think she can be doing a better job," McCaul told FoxNews.com.

The administration infamously labeled the 2009 Fort Hood shootings as "workplace violence" despite the fact that the shooter who killed 13 people, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, was a Islamic extremist who had been communicating with radical Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen. Additionally, the White House came under fire again when it tried to blame the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi on an anti-Muslim YouTube video instead of terrorism, even though there was intelligence that suggested terrorist involvement. Four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, died in the attack.

FoxNews.com has more:

On Nov. 15, McCaul released a report drawing the connection between Iran and Hezbollah's growing presence in Latin America, and their relationship with Mexican drug cartels based on DEA intelligence.

"The presence of Iran and Hezbollah in Latin America represents a strategic migration to position terrorist operations within striking distance of the United States," McCaul reported. "It's not speculation, it's true they are working with the drug cartels."

Both the Department of Homeland Security and the Mexican government have denied the presence of Islamic extremist groups in Mexico.

An area McCaul would like to see addressed is the policy of using deadly force by the Border Patrol, which has come under fire and is being investigated by the Homeland Security inspector general in the wake of a fatal cross-border shooting of a Mexican teen in October.

McCaul said he will also be leading a delegation to the inauguration of Mexican President-elect Enrique Pena Nieto. The GOP congressman plans to sit down with Nieto to discuss border security and trade.

"His party, PRI, has a history of being friendly with the cartels," McCaul added.

Nieto has been somewhat vague in explaining how his administration will battle the cartels, fueling speculation that he will turn a blind eye to the activities of major drug cartels and only focus on local operations.

Featured images via AP