June 7 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002

Remarks Prior to a Meeting With Congressional Leaders and an Exchange With Reporters June 7, 2002

Department of Homeland Security suicide bombings, still the incursions by the The President. I want to welcome Mem- Israelis. Is there any hope for any progress bers of the Senate and the House, mem- in the next couple days with the President bers of both political parties, to the Cabinet of Egypt and the Prime Minister of Israel? Room this morning to discuss how best to The President. Yes, I mean, we’re going implement the strategy that I talked about to have good discussions, and that’s always last night, that other Members of Congress important. George Tenet has just come have been talking about for awhile, and back from the Middle East. Ambassador that is the development of the Department Burns is coming back from the Middle of Homeland Security. East. There’s been consultation with all the We’ve got a lot of work to do to get parties. And after my meetings with Presi- this Department implemented. There’s dent Mubarak and Prime Minister Sharon, going to be a lot of turf protection in the I’ll talk to our country about how I think Congress. But I’m convinced that by work- we should move forward. ing together, that we can do what’s right Progress is being made. The Arab world for America, and I believe we can get now understands they need to be involved something done. in pushing for peace and fighting against To this end, I’m going to direct Tom the terrorist actions that have—that make Ridge to testify before Congress about the it very difficult to achieve a peace. need for the establishment of this Cabinet I still am disappointed in Mr. Arafat’s agency. I feel strongly that he is the—he leadership. He needs to cut off the terrorist can represent the interests of the adminis- activities. tration on the Hill, and he can bring our Q. So you’re talking about a speech on message to the Hill. the Middle East? And I look forward to working with Sen- The President. Well, I don’t know if it’ll ators Lieberman and Specter and Members be a speech. It may be a discussion. It of the House to get this important legisla- could be a paper. I haven’t decided the tion passed. Obviously, the sooner the de- forum. bate begins, the sooner the passage of this Q. But you’ll lay out a new vision? bill can happen. And that’s good for the The President. No. I’m going to lay out— country. listen, if you’re interested to know what Again, I want to thank the Members who I think, go back to the April 4th speech. are here. I want to thank you for your Department of Homeland Security leadership on this issue. Thank you for your willingness to speak out about the impor- Q. Mr. President, how are you going to tance of protecting our homeland. deal with some of the turf battles that come I’ll answer a couple of questions. Yes, up? And what led you to change your mind Ron [Ron Fournier, Associated Press]? about a Cabinet agency? The President. Well, first of all, I have Situation in the Middle East always been—ever since we first got going, Q. Thank you. If I could look ahead the I’ve been exploring this idea. My mind was next couple days, it’s been a couple months never made up one way or the other. I now since you asked all the parties to step knew I needed to act right after September up in the Middle East, and there are still the 11th, and that’s why I called upon Tom

940

24 2004 10:45 Jul 26, 2004 Jkt 193762 PO 00000 Frm 00940 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193762A.XXX 193762A Administration of George W. Bush, 2002 / June 7

to serve in the capacity in which he has going to be able to have more money on served. We needed to do something very the frontline of our homeland security. quickly right after the attack. There is—one of the things that’s impor- We’ve been exploring this idea for tant about Government is that there be ac- awhile. I’ve been listening to Members of countability within Government. And as I the Congress, who have been quite articu- mentioned last night, there’s over 100 dif- late on the subject. And after doing a lot ferent agencies involved in homeland secu- of work on the feasibility of setting up this rity. In other words, the ability to protect Cabinet position, we decided to move for- the homeland is scattered throughout, so ward yesterday. there really is no accountability. Now, in terms of turf battles, there’s I mentioned the example of Customs. nothing wrong with a good turf-battle fight. You know, they collect tariffs, but they re- And one way to win that argument is to port to the Secretary of Treasury, who real- call upon the good services of effective ly isn’t in charge of homeland security. And Members of the House and the Senate. so the idea is to configure those existing And that’s what this meeting is all about; agencies into a—that are responsible for it’s the beginning of winning the turf battle. pieces of our security into one agency, so that accountability is clear. I think most Members of Congress un- And obviously—Harry Truman said, derstand the need to act. I know Members ‘‘The buck stops here,’’ in the White of Congress know that we’re in a new type House. I understand that. But if that’s the of war, and there’s been precedent. As I case, I want to make sure that account- talked about last night, Harry Truman ability to me is clear, that we’ve aligned moved—asked Congress to move, in the responsibility and authority. And so this is reforms of our war-fighting capacities, and a very important reorganization to—it’ll en- we need to do the same thing for the able all of us to tell the American people homeland. that we’re doing everything in our power And we’ve got Members here—if you to protect the homeland. look around this table, we’ve got Members Q. Mr. President, we were told yesterday here with plenty of seniority and plenty that this would lead to no substantial of stroke and plenty of credibility to move changes at the FBI and the CIA. Since this package through both the House and those are the two agencies under the most the Senate. scrutiny right now, how can rest Q. Mr. President, many Americans, when assured that this reorganization will really they hear about this plan, may think it is do anything to address the root intelligence a growth in the size of Government, in failures behind the September 11th attacks? the bureaucracy, another layer of bureauc- The President. Well, first of all, the FBI racy. What do you say to people who might and the CIA are changing. They understand have that concern, might be concerned that that there have been gaps in intelligence this is just a shuffle and reshuffling of the sharing. If you listen to the testimony of deck? FBI Director Mueller, you will understand The President. Well, I would tell them that the FBI is making changes. that there’s going to be savings by—when Now, FBI Mueller came to work one we combine accounting units and savings week before September the 11th. He’d when we combine people in place to worry been here one week on duty. And he has about administration. You see, when you taken the testimony of the lady, the FBI combine agencies that are scattered woman out of , very seriously. throughout the Government, there are in- He’s looked at the report from Arizona. herent savings, which means that we’re And he’s reacted with reform.

941

r 24 2004 10:45 Jul 26, 2004 Jkt 193762 PO 00000 Frm 00941 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193762A.XXX 193762A June 7 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2002

The CIA and the FBI—I’ve said this in the Burnham parents, and I thanked her many, many speeches—that is, if you were for reaching out. She assured me that the paying attention to them—that the CIA and Philippine Government would hold the ter- the FBI now talk like they’ve never talked rorist group accountable for how they treat- before. In other words, we’ve learned les- ed these Americans, that justice would be sons from what took place prior to Sep- done. tember the 11th. And so the reforms, We are obviously going to look at all they’re already going on, and they’re mak- the particulars and the facts, and the State ing great progress and communicating in Department will be talking about that later a much more seamless way, in a much on today. more—in a way that will help protect the homeland. Thank you all. NOTE: The President spoke at 8:31 a.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White House. In Death of Martin Burnham his remarks, he referred to President Hosni Q. Mr. President—— Mubarak of Egypt; Prime Minister Ariel The President. Yes, one question. I want Sharon of Israel; Chairman of to answer this. Yes? the Palestinian Authority; Minneapolis, MN, Q. Are you satisfied that the Philippine FBI Agent Coleen Rowley; and President troops did all they could in the rescue at- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines. tempt of the Burnhams? And have you con- He also referred to Martin Burnham, an tacted their family here at home? American missionary who was held hostage The President. First, let me say how sad in the Philippines by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist we are that Martin Burnham lost his life, group and killed on June 7 during a rescue and I will call his parents. I’m pleased that attempt; his wife, Gracia, who was held hos- Mrs. Burnham’s alive; that’s good. tage with Mr. Burnham but rescued; and Mr. I talked to President Arroyo of the Phil- Burnham’s parents, Paul and Oreta ippines. She told me that she had called Burnham.

Remarks at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, June 7, 2002

The President. Thank you for that warm cure the homeland. And Tom—I convinced welcome. David, thanks for your kind re- him to leave the Governor’s—the state- marks. It’s a great honor to be here. It’s house of to join me in Wash- a great pleasure to get out of Washington. ington, and he’s done a really good job, [Laughter] It feels like I’m kind of getting really good job. closer to home, to be with people who I want to thank some of my friends who make their living on the land. I’m honored flew down from Washington with me. I to be with the good folks who supply our don’t know if they wanted a free ride or country with food and the good folks who not, but they came. [Laughter] You know live the values of the farm. how Senator Grassley is. [Laughter] Con- I am honored to be traveling today with gressman Ganske, Leach, and Latham also Tom Ridge. I gave a speech last night to came down with me, and I was honored the Nation that talked about the need to to travel with them. I appreciate their make sure we do everything we can to se- friendship. We spent a lot of time talking

942

24 2004 10:45 Jul 26, 2004 Jkt 193762 PO 00000 Frm 00942 Fmt 1240 Sfmt 1240 E:\HR\OC\193762A.XXX 193762A