The new Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, did not mention the word "terrorism" in her first remarks in front of Congress, prompting criticism from Republican Congressman Pete King.

"This can't be the evil we don't speak about," King said in criticizing Napolitano for not specifically mentioning the threat.

Napolitano responded to the criticism by saying she didn't use the term "because it's almost become part and parcel of what we do every day," FoxNews.com reported.

The spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, Sean Smith, responded more forcefully to the criticism.

"Next time we'll send Cliffs Notes over with the testimony. Anyone who doesn't understand that she's talking about terrorism when she says her mission is to protect the American people from threats both foreign and domestic clearly needs a study guide," the Associated Press quoted him as saying.

Napolitano was in her second term as governor of Arizona when she was chosen by President Obama as the country's third Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Cabinet post was first created in the months after the attacks of September 11, 2001 by the Bush Administration.