Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / Nov. 25

Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Remarks on Signing the Homeland Security Act of 2002 November 25, 2002

Thanks for coming. Thanks for the warm floor of the House of Representatives. I’ll welcome, and welcome to the White miss him. I’m not so sure everybody will. House. [Laughter] But I appreciate your time here. Today we are taking historic action to I thank Tom DeLay for making sure the defend the United States and protect our bill got passed. I thank Rob Portman for citizens against the dangers of a new era. his hard work. And I want to thank Ellen With my signature, this act of Congress Tauscher as well for her leadership on this will create a new Department of Homeland issue. Security, ensuring that our efforts to defend I appreciate Kay James of the Office of this country are comprehensive and united. Personnel Management, who worked so The new Department will analyze hard to make sure this effort was under- threats, will guard our borders and airports, stood by everybody in our Government. protect our critical infrastructure, and co- And I want to thank the other administra- ordinate the response of our Nation to fu- tion officials who are here, many of whom ture emergencies. The Department of are going to be responsible for seeing to Homeland Security will focus the full re- it this new Department functions well. sources of the American Government on I want to thank all the local and State the safety of the American people. This officials who are here with us today—I see essential reform was carefully considered by Governors and county judges, mayors—for Congress and enacted with strong bipar- coming. My own mayor, the Mayor of tisan majorities. Washington, DC, I appreciate you coming, I want to thank Tom Ridge, the Home- Mr. Mayor. I want to thank the local and land Security Adviser, for his hard work State law enforcement officials who are on this initiative. I want to thank all the members of my Cabinet who are here for here, the chiefs of police and fire chiefs their work. I want to thank the Members who are with us today. I see the chief of of Congress who are with us today, particu- my city now is here as well. Thank you, larly those Members of Congress who were Mr. Chief, for coming. essential to the passage, many of whom I want to thank the union representatives stand up here on the stage with me. One who are here. We look forward to working Member not with us is our mutual friend with you to make sure that your people from Texas, Phil Gramm. I appreciate his are treated fairly in this new Department. hard work. I thank the work of Senator I want to thank the Federal workers who Fred Thompson and Senator Joe are here. You’re charged with being on the Lieberman. I appreciate Zell Miller and front line of protecting America. I under- Don Nickles’ hard work as well. We’ve got stand your job. We look forward to working a lot of Members from the House here, with you to make sure you get your job and I want to thank you all for coming. done. I want to thank the President’s I particularly want to pay homage to Dick Homeland Security Advisory Council as Armey, who shepherded the bill to the well, and thank you all for coming.

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From the morning of September the with homeland security will now be located 11th, 2001, to this hour, America has been within one Cabinet Department with the engaged in an unprecedented effort to de- mandate and legal authority to protect our fend our freedom and our security. We’re people. America will be better able to re- fighting a war against terror with all our spond to any future attacks, to reduce our resources, and we’re determined to win. vulnerability and, most important, prevent With the help of many nations, with the the terrorists from taking innocent Amer- help of 90 nations, we’re tracking terrorist ican lives. activity; we’re freezing terrorist finances; The Department of Homeland Security we’re disrupting terrorist plots; we’re shut- will have nearly 170,000 employees, dedi- ting down terrorist camps; we’re on the cated professionals who will wake up each hunt, one person at a time. Many terrorists are now being interrogated. Many terrorists morning with the overriding duty of pro- have been killed. We’ve liberated a country. tecting their fellow citizens. As Federal We recognize our greatest security is workers, they have rights, and those rights found in the relentless pursuit of these will be fully protected. And I’m grateful coldblooded killers. Yet, because terrorists that the Congress listened to my concerns are targeting America, the front of the new and retained the authority of the President war is here in America. Our life changed to put the right people in the right place and changed in dramatic fashion on Sep- at the right time in the defense of our tember the 11th, 2001. country. In the last 14 months, every level of our I’ve great confidence in the men and Government has taken steps to be better women who will serve in this Department prepared against a terrorist attack. We un- and in the man I’ve asked to lead it. As derstand the nature of the enemy. We un- I prepare to sign this bill into law, I am derstand they hate us because of what we pleased to announce that I will nominate love. We’re doing everything we can to en- Governor Tom Ridge as our Nation’s first hance security at our airports and power- Secretary of Homeland Security. Americans plants and border crossings. We’ve de- know Tom as an experienced public servant ployed detection equipment to look for and as the leader of our homeland security weapons of mass destruction. We’ve given efforts since last year. Tom accepted that law enforcement better tools to detect and assignment in urgent circumstances, resign- disrupt terrorist cells which might be hiding ing as the Governor of Pennsylvania to or- in our own country. And through separate legislation I signed ganize the White House Office of Home- earlier today, we will strengthen security land Security and to develop a comprehen- at our Nation’s 361 seaports, adding port sive strategy to protect the American peo- security agents, requiring ships to provide ple. He’s done a superb job. He’s the right more information about the cargo, crew, man for this new and great responsibility. and passengers they carry. And I want to We’re going to put together a fine team thank the Members of Congress for work- to work with Tom. The Secretary of the ing hard on this important piece of legisla- Navy, Gordon England, will be nominated tion as well. for the post of Deputy Secretary. And Asa The Homeland Security Act of 2002 Hutchinson of Arkansas, now the Adminis- takes the next critical steps in defending trator of the Drug Enforcement Adminis- our country. The continuing threat of ter- tration, will be nominated to serve as rorism, the threat of mass murder on our Under Secretary for Border and Transpor- own soil, will be met with a unified, effec- tation Security. tive response. Dozens of agencies charged

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The Secretary-designate and his team There will be a coordinated effort to safe- have an immense task ahead of them. Set- guard our transportation systems and to se- ting up the Department of Homeland Se- cure the border so that we’re better able curity will involve the most extensive reor- to protect our citizens and welcome our ganization of the Federal Government since friends. Harry Truman signed the National Security Fifth, the Department will work with Act. To succeed in their mission, leaders State and local officials to prepare our re- of the new Department must change the sponse to any future terrorist attack that culture of many diverse agencies, directing may come. We have found that the first all of them toward the principal objective hours and even the first minutes after the of protecting the American people. The ef- attack can be crucial in saving lives, and fort will take time and focus and steady our first-responders need the carefully resolve. It will also require full support planned and drilled strategies that will from both the administration and the Con- make their work effective. gress. Adjustments will be needed along the The Department of Homeland Security way. Yet this is pressing business, and the will also end a great deal of duplication hard work of building a new Department and overlapping responsibilities. Our objec- begins today. tive is to spend less on administrators in When the Department of Homeland Se- offices and more on working agents in the curity is fully operational, it will enhance field, less on overhead and more on pro- the safety of our people in very practical tecting our neighborhoods and borders and ways. First, this new Department will ana- waters and skies from terrorists. lyze intelligence information on terror With a vast nation to defend, we can threats collected by the CIA, the FBI, the neither predict nor prevent every conceiv- National Security Agency, and others. The able attack. And in a free and open society, Department will match this intelligence no Department of Government can com- against the Nation’s vulnerabilities and pletely guarantee our safety against ruthless work with other agencies and the private killers who move and plot in shadows. Yet sector and State and local governments to our Government will take every possible harden America’s defenses against terror. measure to safeguard our country and our Second, the Department will gather and people. focus all our efforts to face the challenge We’re fighting a new kind of war against of cyberterrorism and the even worse dan- determined enemies. And public servants ger of nuclear, chemical, and biological ter- long into the future will bear the responsi- rorism. This Department will be charged bility to defend Americans against terror. with encouraging research on new tech- This administration and this Congress have nologies that can detect these threats in the duty of putting that system into place. time to prevent an attack. We will fulfill that duty. With the Home- Third, State and local governments will land Security Act, we’re doing everything be able to turn for help and information we can to protect America. We’re showing to one Federal domestic security agency, the resolve of this great Nation to defend instead of more than 20 agencies that cur- our freedom, our security, and our way of rently divide these responsibilities. This will life. help our local governments work in concert It’s now my privilege to sign the Home- with the Federal Government for the sake land Security Act of 2002. of all the people of America. Fourth, the new Department will bring NOTE: The President spoke at 1:30 p.m. in together the agencies responsible for bor- the East Room at the White House. In his der, coastline, and transportation security. remarks, he referred to District of Columbia

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Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Metropoli- time Transportation Security Act of 2002, ap- tan Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey. H.R. proved November 25, was assigned Public 5005, approved November 25, was assigned Law No. 107–295. Public Law No. 107–296. S. 1214, the Mari-

Statement on Signing the Homeland Security Act of 2002 November 25, 2002

Today I have signed into law H.R. 5005, Section 214(a)(1)(D)(ii) provides that vol- the ‘‘Homeland Security Act of 2002.’’ The untarily shared critical infrastructure infor- Act restructures and strengthens the execu- mation shall not be used or disclosed by tive branch of the Federal Government to any Federal employee without the written better meet the threat to our homeland consent of the person or entity submitting posed by terrorism. In establishing a new the information, except when disclosure of Department of Homeland Security, the Act the information would be to the Congress for the first time creates a Federal depart- or the Comptroller General. The executive ment whose primary mission will be to help branch does not construe this provision to prevent, protect against, and respond to impose any independent or affirmative re- acts of terrorism on our soil. quirement to share such information with Section 103(a)(8) of the Act provides for the Congress or the Comptroller General 12 Assistant Secretary positions without de- and shall construe it in any event in a man- fined titles or duties in the new Depart- ner consistent with the constitutional au- ment that are to be ‘‘appointed by the thorities of the President to supervise the President, by and with the advice and con- unitary executive branch and to withhold information the disclosure of which could sent of the Senate.’’ Sections 201(b)(1) and impair foreign relations, the national secu- 201(b)(2) of the Act provide for two Assist- rity, the deliberative processes of the Exec- ant Secretary positions with defined titles utive, or the performance of the Executive’s and duties that are to be ‘‘appointed by constitutional duties. the President.’’ The text and structure of Section 231 establishes an ‘‘Office of the Act make clear that these two presi- Science and Technology’’ within the Na- dentially appointed Assistant Secretary posi- tional Institute of Justice, and under the tions were created in addition to the 12 general authority of the Assistant Attorney unspecified Assistant Secretary positions, General for the Office of Justice Programs. and the executive branch shall construe the According to subsection 231(b), ‘‘[t]he Of- relevant provisions accordingly. fice shall be headed by a Director, who With respect to section 201(h), upon the shall be an individual appointed based on recommendations of the Secretary of approval by the Office of Personnel Man- Homeland Security, the Director of Central agement of the executive qualifications of Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, the the individual.’’ The executive branch will Assistant to the President for National Se- construe this provision in a manner con- curity Affairs, and other appropriate execu- sistent with the requirements of the Ap- tive branch officials, I will determine which pointments Clause of Article II of the Con- elements of the Department of Homeland stitution. Because the Director would exer- Security are concerned with the analysis of cise significant governmental authority and foreign intelligence information. thus be an ‘‘officer’’ whose appointment

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