The Department of Homeland Security
Release Date: June 17, 2002
Release Number: R6-02-01d
Since September, 11 all levels of government have cooperated like never before to strengthen aviation and border security, stockpile more medicines to defend against bio-terrorism, improve information sharing among our intelligence agencies and deploy more resources and personnel to protect our critical infrastructure. I join President Bush in expressing pride in the way federal, state and local governments responded to the events of September 11.
However, the changing nature of the threats facing America requires a new government structure to protect against invisible enemies that can strike at any time with any number of weapons. Today, no one single government agency has homeland security as its primary mission. In fact, more than 100 different government organizations currently have responsibilities for homeland security. America needs a unified homeland security structure that will improve protection against today's threats and be flexible enough to help meet the unknown threats of the future.
The President has proposed the most significant transformation of the U.S. government in over a half-century by consolidating the current confusing patchwork of government activities into a single entity--the Department of Homeland Security--whose primary mission is to protect our homeland. The President has called on Congress to pass this plan before adjourning this fall.
The new Department of Homeland Security will make Americans safer because one department will have the primary mission to protect our homeland. The President's proposal unites organizations that oversee our border and critical infrastructure protection, emergency response efforts, and technical research to protect Americans at home against bioterrorism and other weapons of mass destruction. The department will have specialists trained to synthesize and analyze homeland security intelligence from multiple sources, and one department will communicate with state and local governments, private industry, and the American people about threats and preparedness.
This department will have in one place all the resources needed to protect our homeland. However, the President knows that homeland security is about more than money-it's about having a system in place that is flexible, efficient and effective. I urge Members of Congress and the American people to support the creation of The Department of Homeland Security.
Last Modified: Wednesday, 27-Aug-2003 14:02:59