Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Washington, DC - Today Senate Governmental Affairs Committee
Ranking Member Fred Thompson (R-TN) hailed the passage of an
amendment creating the new Department of Homeland Security,
which the Senate adopted by a vote of 73 to 26. Final passage of
the legislation, H.R. 5005, is expected later today.
The Thompson substitute amendment is identical to H.R. 5710,
which was passed by the House of Representatives on November 13.
With Senate passage of this bipartisan agreement, the
legislation will be sent to President Bush to be signed into
law.
"Today we have taken a giant step toward reorganizing
our homeland security establishment to protect American citizens
from the threat of terrorism. The threats our nation faces are
still very real, and will likely exist for decades to come. But
as we move forward, we must be realistic. It’s going to be a
long and complex road to create a fully effective agency to
enhance homeland security, but this is a mission that is vital
to the security of this nation, and the most important
responsibility of this government," said Thompson, who led
the debate on the bill for Senate Republicans.
The homeland security legislation allows for certain
flexibilities in the new Department’s human resources
management system, while requiring the Secretary to notify
Congress of changes and providing federal employees a method of
appeal. The bill also gives the Secretary certain reorganization
flexibilities for the Department, to implement changes in a
timely and efficient manner.
The Thompson amendment also includes much needed reforms for
the Immigration and Naturalization Service to promote stronger
border security and immigration services. To address U.S.
vulnerability to cyber attacks, the legislation includes
language requiring federal agencies to utilize information
security best practices to ensure the integrity,
confidentiality, and availability of federal information
systems.
"At a time when uncertainty threatens confidence in our
nation's preparedness, the Federal government must make
information security a priority. We are fighting a new war in a
new age on unconventional fronts. We can not afford to overlook
our nation’s technology infrastructure as we secure our
homeland," said Thompson.