For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 18, 2002
Message to the Congress of the United States
Analysis of proposal Text of Bill Homeland Security Portal Page
TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:
I hereby transmit to the Congress proposed legislation to create a
new Cabinet Department of Homeland Security.
Our Nation faces a new and changing threat unlike any we have faced
before -- the global threat of terrorism. No nation is immune, and all
nations must act decisively to protect against this constantly evolving
threat.
We must recognize that the threat of terrorism is a permanent
condition, and we must take action to protect America against the
terrorists that seek to kill the innocent.
Since September 11, 2001, all levels of government and leaders from
across the political spectrum have cooperated like never before. We
have strengthened our aviation security and tightened our borders. We
have stockpiled medicines to defend against bioterrorism and improved
our ability to combat weapons of mass destruction. We have
dramatically improved information sharing among our intelligence
agencies, and we have taken new steps to protect our critical
infrastructure.
Our Nation is stronger and better prepared today than it was on
September 11. Yet, we can do better. I propose the most extensive
reorganization of the Federal Government since the 1940s by creating a
new Department of Homeland Security. For the first time we would have
a single Department whose primary mission is to secure our homeland.
Soon after the Second World War, President Harry Truman recognized that
our Nation's fragmented military defenses needed reorganization to help
win the Cold War. President Truman proposed uniting our military
forces under a single entity, now the Department of Defense, and
creating the National Security Council to bring together defense,
intelligence, and diplomacy. President Truman's reforms are still
helping us to fight terror abroad, and today we need similar dramatic
reforms to secure our people at home.
President Truman and Congress reorganized our Government to meet a
very visible enemy in the Cold War. Today our Nation must once again
reorganize our Government to protect against an often-invisible enemy,
an enemy that hides in the shadows and an enemy that can strike with
many different types of weapons. Our enemies seek to obtain the most
dangerous and deadly weapons of mass destruction and use them against
the innocent. While we are winning the war on terrorism, Al Qaeda and
other terrorist organizations still have thousands of trained killers
spread across the globe plotting attacks against America and the other
nations of the civilized world.
Immediately after last fall's attack, I used my legal authority to
establish the White House Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland
Security Council to help ensure that our Federal response and
protection efforts were coordinated and effective. I also directed
Homeland Security Advisor Tom Ridge to study the Federal Government as
a whole to determine if the current structure allows us to meet the threats of today while
preparing for the unknown threats of tomorrow. After careful study of
the current structure, coupled with the experience gained since
September 11 and new have concluded that our Nation needs a more
unified homeland security structure.
I propose to create a new Department of Homeland Security by
substantially transforming the current confusing patchwork of
government activities into a single department whose primary mission is
to secure our homeland. My proposal builds on the strong bipartisan
work on the issue of homeland security that has been conducted by
Members of Congress. In designing the new Department, my
Administration considered a number of homeland security organizational
proposals that have emerged from outside studies, commissions, and
Members of Congress.
The Need for a Department of Homeland Security
Today no Federal Government agency has homeland security as its
primary mission. Responsibilities for homeland security are dispersed
among more than 100 different entities of the Federal Government-.
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 mission of the new Department would be to prevent terrorist
attacks within the United States, to reduce America's vulnerability to
terrorism, and to minimize the damage and recover from attacks that may
occur. The Department of Homeland Security would mobilize and focus
the resources of the Federal Government, State and local governments,
the private sector, and the American people to accomplish its mission.
The Department of Homeland Security would make Americans safer
because for the first time we would have one department dedicated to
securing the homeland. One department would secure our borders,
transportation sector, ports, and critical infrastructure. One
department would analyze homeland security intelligence from multiple
sources, synthesize it with a comprehensive assessment of America's
vulnerabilities, and take action to secure our highest risk facilities
and systems. One department would coordinate communications with State
and local governments, private industry, and the American people about
threats and preparedness. One department would coordinate our efforts
to secure the American people against bioterrorism and other weapons of
mass destruction. One department would help train and equip our first
responders. One department would manage Federal emergency response
activities.
Our goal is not to expand Government, but to create an agile
organization that takes advantage of modern technology and management
techniques to meet a new and constantly evolving threat. We can
improve our homeland security by minimizing the duplication of efforts,
improving coordination, and combining functions that are currently
fragmented and inefficient. The new Department would allow us to have
more security officers in the field working to stop terrorists and
fewer resources in Washington managing duplicative activities that
drain critical homeland security resources.
The Department of Homeland Security would have a clear and
efficient organizational structure with four main divisions: Border and
Transportation Security; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Chemical,
Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures; and Information
Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.
Border and Transportation Security
Terrorism is a global threat and we must improve our border
security to help keep out those who mean to do us harm. We must
closely monitor who is coming into and out of our country to help
prevent foreign terrorists from entering our country and bringing in
their instruments of terror. At the same time, we must expedite the
legal flow of people and goods on which our economy depends. Securing
our borders and controlling entry to the United States has always been
the responsibility of the Federal Government. Yet, this responsibility
and the security of our transportation systems is now dispersed among
several major Government organizations. Under my proposed legislation,
the Department of Homeland Security would unify authority over major
Federal security operations related to our borders, territorial waters,
and transportation systems.
The Department would assume responsibility for the United States
Coast Guard, the United States Customs Service, the Immigration and
Naturalization Service (including the Border Patrol), the Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Transportation Security
Administration. The Secretary of Homeland Security would have the
authority to administer and enforce all immigration and nationality
laws, including the visa issuance functions of consular officers. As a
result, the Department would have sole responsibility for managing
entry into the United States and protecting our transportation
infrastructure. It would ensure that all aspects of border control,
including the issuing of visas, are informed by a central
information-sharing clearinghouse and compatible databases.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Although our top priority is preventing future attacks, we must
also prepare to minimize the damage and recover from attacks that may
occur.
My legislative proposal requires the Department of Homeland
Security to ensure the preparedness of our Nation's emergency response
professionals, provide the Federal Government's response, and aid
America's recovery from terrorist attacks and natural disasters. To
fulfill these missions, the Department of Homeland Security would
incorporate the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as one of
its key components. The Department would administer the domestic
disaster preparedness grant programs for firefighters, police, and
emergency personnel currently managed by FEMA, the Department of
Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services. In
responding to an incident, the Department would manage such critical
response assets as the Nuclear Emergency Search Team (from the
Department of Energy) and the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile (from
the Department of Health and Human Services). Finally, the Department
of Homeland Security would integrate the Federal interagency emergency
response plans into a single, comprehensive, Government-wide plan, and
would work to ensure that all response personnel have the equipment and
capability to communicate with each other as necessary.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Countermeasures
Our enemies today seek to acquire and use the most deadly weapons
known to mankind -- chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear
weapons.
The new Department of Homeland Security would lead the Federal
Government's efforts in preparing for and responding to the full range
of terrorist threats involving weapons of mass destruction. The
Department would set national policy and establish guidelines for State
and local governments. The Department would direct exercises for
Federal, State, and local chemical, biological, radiological, and
nuclear attack response teams and plans. The Department would
consolidate and synchronize the disparate efforts of multiple Federal
agencies now scattered across several departments. This would create a
single office whose primary mission is the critical task of securing
the United States from catastrophic terrorism.
The Department would improve America's ability to develop
diagnostics, vaccines, antibodies, antidotes, and other countermeasures
against new weapons. It would consolidate and prioritize the disparate
homeland security-related research and development programs currently
scattered throughout the executive branch, and the Department would
assist State and local public safety agencies by evaluating equipment
and setting standards.
Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection
For the first time the Government would have under one roof the
capability to identify and assess threats to the homeland, map those
threats against our vulnerabilities, issue timely warnings, and take
action to help secure the homeland.
The Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection division of
the new Department of Homeland Security would complement the reforms on
intelligence-gathering and information-sharing already underway at the
FBI and the CIA. The Department would analyze information and
intelligence from the FBI, CIA, and many other Federal agencies to
better understand the terrorist threat to the American homeland.
The Department would comprehensively assess the vulnerability of
America's key assets and critical infrastructures, including food and
water systems, agriculture, health systems and emergency services,
information and telecommunications, banking and finance, energy,
transportation, the chemical and defense industries, postal and
shipping entities, and national monuments and icons. The Department
would integrate its own and others' threat analyses with its
comprehensive vulnerability assessment to identify protective
priorities and support protective steps to be taken by the Department,
other Federal departments and agencies, State and local agencies, and
the private sector. Working closely with State and local officials,
other Federal agencies, and the private sector, the Department would
help ensure that proper steps are taken to protect high-risk potential
targets.
Other Components
In addition to these four core divisions, the submitted legislation
would also transfer responsibility for the Secret Service to the
Department of Homeland Security. The Secret Service, which would
report directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security, would retain its
primary mission to protect the President and other Government leaders.
The Secret Service would, however, contribute its specialized
protective expertise to the fulfillment of the Department's core
mission.
Finally, under my legislation, the Department of Homeland Security
would consolidate and streamline relations with the Federal Government
for America's State and local governments.
The new Department would contain an intergovernmental affairs
office to coordinate Federal homeland security programs with State and
local officials. It would give State and local officials one primary
contact instead of many when it comes to matters related to training,
equipment, planning, and other critical needs such as emergency
response.
The consolidation of the Government's homeland security efforts as
outlined in my proposed legislation can achieve great efficiencies that
further enhance our security. Yet, to achieve these efficiencies, the
new Secretary of Homeland Security would require considerable
flexibility in procurement, integration of information technology
systems, and personnel issues. My proposed legislation provides the
Secretary of Homeland Security with just such flexibility and
managerial authorities. I call upon the Congress to implement these
measures in order to ensure that we are maximizing our ability to
secure our homeland.
Continued Interagency Coordination at the White House
Even with the creation of the new Department, there will remain a
strong need for a White House Office of Homeland Security. Protecting
America from terrorism will remain a multi-departmental issue and will
continue to require interagency coordination. Presidents will continue
to require the confidential advice of a Homeland Security Advisor, and
I intend for the White House Office of Homeland Security and the
Homeland Security Council to maintain a strong role in coordinating our
government-wide efforts to secure the homeland.
The Lessons of History
History teaches us that new challenges require new organizational
structures. History also teaches us that critical security challenges
require clear lines of responsibility and the unified effort of the
U.S. Government.
President Truman said, looking at the lessons of the Second World
War: "It is now time to discard obsolete organizational forms, and to
provide for the future the soundest, the most effective, and the most
economical kind of structure for our armed forces." When skeptics told
President Truman that this proposed reorganization was too ambitious to
be enacted, he simply replied that it had to be. In the years to
follow, the Congress acted upon President Truman's recommendation,
eventually laying a sound organizational foundation that enabled the
United States to win the Cold War. All Americans today enjoy the
inheritance of this landmark organizational reform: a unified
Department of Defense that has become the most powerful force for
freedom the world has ever seen.
Today America faces a threat that is wholly different from the
threat we faced during the Cold War. Our terrorist enemies hide in
shadows and attack civilians with whatever means of destruction they
can access. But as in the Cold War, meeting this threat requires clear
lines of responsibility and the unified efforts of government at all
levels -- Federal, State, local, and tribal -- the private sector, and
all Americans. America needs a homeland security establishment that
can help prevent catastrophic attacks and mobilize national resources
for an enduring conflict while protecting our Nation's values and
liberties.
Years from today, our world will still be fighting the threat of
terrorism. It is my hope that future generations will be able to look
back on the Homeland Security Act of 2002 -- as we now remember the
National Security Act of 1947 -- as the solid organizational foundation
for America's triumph in a long and difficult struggle against a
formidable enemy.
History has given our Nation new challenges -- and important new
assignments. Only the United States Congress can create a new
department of Government. We face an urgent need, and I am pleased
that Congress has responded to my call to act before the end of the
current congressional session with the same bipartisan spirit that
allowed us to act expeditiously on legislation after September 11.
These are times that demand bipartisan action and bipartisan
solutions to meet the new and changing threats we face as a Nation. I
urge the Congress to join me in creating a single, permanent department
with an overriding and urgent mission -- securing the homeland of
America and protecting the American people. Together we can meet this
ambitious deadline and help ensure that the American homeland is secure
against the terrorist threat.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
June 18, 2002.
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