Asa Hutchinson was appointed by President Bush and confirmed by a unanimous vote of the U.S. Senate in January 2003.

As Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, Hutchinson leads a directorate of over 110,000 employees and is responsible for coordinating the enforcement activities of our borders, waterways, transportation and immigration systems.

While at DHS, Hutchinson leads an effort to reform border inspections through the use of biometric technology and continues to oversee the reorganization of border agencies into a unified inspection force.

Prior to coming to DHS, Hutchinson served as a Member of Congress from Arkansas from 1997-2001. While in Congress, Hutchinson served on the Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Judiciary Committee.

After being re-elected to his third term, he was appointed as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where he combined tough law enforcement initiatives with advocating increased investment in treatment and education programs.

Prior to his election to Congress, Hutchinson practiced law in rural Arkansas for 21 years and tried over 100 jury trials. During this time, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. At the age of 31, he was the youngest U.S. Attorney in the nation.