Remarks by Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge at the Republican Governors Association Annual Conference

Release Date: 11/19/04 00:00:00

New Orleans
Annual Conference
Republican Governors Association
November 19, 2004
(Remarks as Prepared)

Thank you, Governor Taft, for that kind introduction. I’m honored to be here with many of my former colleagues.  They say: “Once a governor, always a governor.” I like the sound of that. And for those of you who are here for the first time, you should, too. Congratulations, you’re in good company.  One of the reasons this saying has stuck around is because governors take their experiences with them wherever the next step leads: to the private sector, to independent organizations, to the Senate, to the Cabinet – or to the Presidency – for two terms!  

Governors balance budgets and provide services. Governors remove snow and plant trees. Governors help and heal in a crisis. And some governors make movies, at least one does.  But all governors draw experience from a broad range of responsibilities. Whether you govern in Rhode Island or Texas, you have to deal with issues small and large. Well, no issue is bigger than homeland security.  As you know, the responsibilities of homeland security fall largely on you, and the homeland security advisors and first responders who work closely with you. And I can assure you that my experience as governor of Pennsylvania – both before and after 9/11 – guides my work at the Department of Homeland Security every day.

I realize how much we rely on your expertise and effort, which is part of the reason we have worked so hard to improve the working relationship between the federal government and our partners at the state and local level. And these relationships and partnerships have brought results – results that have made this nation more secure. I am pleased to report that together we’ve created a robust communication system and dedicated ourselves to unprecedented cooperation. Widespread coordination and information sharing are the hallmarks of our new approach to homeland security.

These new tools for communication reach horizontally across federal departments and agencies and vertically to our partners at the state, local, territorial, and tribal levels. The communications systems we have developed are technologically smarter, easier to use and more effective than ever in our country’s history.

For instance, our State and Local Coordination Office maintains a desk in our state-of-the-art Homeland Security Operations Center – a 24/7 nerve center for information and situational awareness. In the event of an incident, this Center will enable us to quickly and effectively get important information to everyone who needs it to protect our citizens. We’ll do that primarily through the Homeland Security Information Network. Through this system we send several products such as information bulletins and threat advisories that allow us to tailor specific information for specific recipients – for instance a part of the country or an individual sector of society.

I want to assure you that we see communication as a two-way process. We collect information from the field and listen to what our partners need from us in order to do their jobs better. Let me re-emphasize that point. We listen to what you need from us, because we all have the same job to do: protect the homeland.  

While we make improvements to information sharing at the federal level, I encourage you to look internally as well. It’s important to continue developing intra-state intelligence fusion centers to enhance your capabilities and ensure statewide connectivity.  And while we also see an important future for similar interstate fusion centers, we’d like to incorporate them into our regional structure once that becomes final.

In addition, working together, we developed the National Incident Management System – you know it as NIMS. It’s a common playbook for federal, state, territorial, tribal and local governments to use as we prepare for and work to prevent domestic incidents of any kind. I sent all governors a letter in September detailing the steps you need to take to implement this uniform set of processes, protocols and procedures. As the timelines for compliance come into focus, I urge you to take action now – so that we are all ready to respond together if necessary.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking right now – it’s a movie quote, and it isn’t “I’ll be back.” You want me to show you the money. Well, we have. More than $8.5 billion has been awarded to state and local governments through our newly streamlined grant process. And another $4 billion is on the way in the FY ’05 Budget. I have visited many places throughout the country to see this money in action. Thanks to your hard work, this money is already making people safer.

But we want to make sure those funds move even faster into the hands of our first responders across the country. That’s why I established the Secretary’s Task Force on State and Local Grant Funding.  The task force was chaired by Governor Romney and vice-chaired by Mayor Don Plusquelic of Akron, Ohio. And it had representation from state legislatures, law enforcement, fire and emergency management as well as other mayors and governors from across the country.

This group found that many of the hold-ups in moving money occurred at the state or local level, and so they made several recommendations to fix these problems. Among the most important actions recommended is to streamline state and local procurement rules and regulations as well as legislative oversight procedures.

And so I urge you to personally take a leadership role as you work to implement these measures to streamline the grant process in your states, cities and towns. The Task Force also found that the reimbursement requirement under the ODP grant programs presented a problem for many cash-strapped state and local governments. This year, at our request, Congress has allowed for an exemption from the Cash Management Act – so communities in your states won’t have to spend their own money upfront to purchase new equipment.

This one year exemption is an opportunity for you and local leaders across the nation to build a grants process that will work faster and smarter in the long-run. Of course, all of the technology advancements and system improvements – and even money – cannot replace one thing: the benefits of partnership.  Every single employee at the Department of Homeland Security is committed to building strong partnerships with our state counterparts.  

Whether our folks are patrolling a border checkpoint, sitting watch in the HSOC, reviewing grant proposals or screening passengers in our airports, we are committed to working with you to achieve our mission: preserving our freedoms, protecting America: securing our homeland. And I know that you are committed to the same thing. As governors, you understand what it means to get things done, and what it takes to do so.  In this case, it takes each of us working individually and together to prevent a terrorist attack.

I don’t have to remind you that while we work hard to reduce our vulnerabilities and prevent an attack, we are operating at a heightened state of alert across the country. As you deal with everything from stadium construction to school performance, I urge you to remember that homeland security continues to be a critical priority for all of us.  Thank you for your continued efforts to improve the already strong partnership that exists between the federal and state governments.   You are stewards of a great legacy of state leadership. Your individual actions improve security for your citizens. And by working together, we can – and will – continue to protect the benefits of freedom for all Americans.

Thank you.

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This page was last modified on 11/19/04 00:00:00