Protecting U.S. Borders at Home and U.S. Citizens Abroad

The highest priority of the Department of State is to protect American interests and citizens around the world and at home.  Overseas, the Bureaus of Consular Affairs and Diplomatic Security (links at left) have lead roles in protecting government employees and private citizens working or traveling abroad.  With respect to homeland security, the role of the State Department is not as large as some Departments, such as Transportation and Defense, but the State Department does have a vital role to play in two key areas: the border security program; and the physical security of certain government facilities and employees in the United States (links below).

--02/14/03  President Bush Releases National Strategy for Combating Terrorism; President Bush; Released by the White House, Office of the Press Secretary; Washington, DC
--01/28/03  Strengthening Intelligence to Better Protect America
--11/19/02  Passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002; Secretary Colin L. Powell; Washington, DC
--11/18/02  Future Challenges in the War on Terrorism; Andrew P. N. Erdmann, Policy Planning Staff; Remarks to the Gaudino Forum, Williams College; Williamstown, MA
--11/14/02  17th Annual Overseas Security Advisory Council Briefing; Secretary Colin L. Powell; Dean Acheson Auditorium; Washington, DC
--09/24/02  Visa Security Reviews.
--09/05/02  Bureau of Consular Affairs Initiatives To Enhance National Security
--08/15/02  Office of Homeland Security: Basic Facts
--07/11/02  Homeland Security (As Delivered); Secretary Colin L. Powell; Testimony before the House Select Committee on Homeland Security; Washington, DC
--06/26/02  Proposal to Establish a Department of Homeland Security: the Visa Function; Marc Grossman, Under Secretary for Political Affairs; Testimony before the House International Relations Committee; Washington, DC
--06/13/02  CTV News Interview; Secretary Colin L. Powell; Whistler, Canada
--06/01/02  Answering the Call of History; President George W. Bush; Address at 2002 Graduation Exercise of the United States Military Academy ; West Point, New York
--05/14/02  Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act Signing Ceremony; President George W. Bush; Remarks at signing ceremony at Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building ; Washington, DC
--05/02/02  Protecting U.S. Citizens Overseas; Peter E. Bergin, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security and Director of the Diplomatic Security; Testimony Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism; Washington, DC
--04/30/02  FY2003 Homeland Security Budget Request and FY2002 Supplemental (As Delivered); Secretary Colin L. Powell; Testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee; Washington, DC
--04/24/02  FY 2003 Budget Request (As Delivered) ; Secretary Colin L. Powell; Testimony before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing; Washington, DC
--03/14/02  Impact of Global Terrorism; Ambassador Francis X. Taylor, Coordinator for Counterterrorism; Remarks to Executives’ Club of Chicago Leadership Symposium; Chicago, IL
--02/13/02  Testimony on FY 2003 Budget (As Delivered); Secretary Colin L. Powell; House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs; Washington, DC
--02/12/02  Testimony on FY 2003 Budget (As Delivered); Secretary Colin L. Powell; Senate Budget Committee ; Washington, DC
--09/29/03  National Combating Terrorism Research and Development Program; Michael A. Jakub, Director for Technical Programs, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism; Testimony to National Security Subcommittee, Committee on Government Reform; Washington, DC
--09/29/03  U.S. Departments of State, Homeland Security Reach Agreement on Visa Oversight Rules
--07/16/03  Required Use of Machine-Readable Passport for Visa Waiver Program Travel
--03/11/03  Department of State Initiates Emergency Preparedness Education