Nomination of Hon. Thomas ''Tom'' J. Ridge Hearing
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S. Hrg. 108–45 NOMINATION OF HON. THOMAS ‘‘TOM’’ J. RIDGE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON THE NOMINATION OF HON. THOMAS ‘‘TOM’’ J. RIDGE TO BE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY JANUARY 17, 2003 Printed for the use of the Committee on Governmental Affairs ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 85–336 PDF WASHINGTON : 2003 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:15 Jun 19, 2003 Jkt 085336 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 C:\DOCS\85336.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PHOGAN COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine, Chairman TED STEVENS, Alaska JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio CARL LEVIN, Michigan NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah THOMAS R. CARPER, Deleware PETER G. FITZGERALD, Illinois MARK DAYTON, Minnesota JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama MARK PRYOR, Arkansas MICHAEL D. BOPP, Staff Director and Counsel JOHANNA L. HARDY, Senior Counsel JOYCE A. RECHTSCHAFFEN, Minority Staff Director and Counsel SUSAN E. PROPPER, Minority Counsel MICHAEL A. ALEXANDER, Professional Staff Member DARLA D. CASSELL, Chief Clerk (II) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:15 Jun 19, 2003 Jkt 085336 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\85336.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PHOGAN C O N T E N T S Opening statements: Page Senator Collins ................................................................................................. 1 Senator Lieberman ........................................................................................... 3 Senator Voinovich ............................................................................................. 7 Senator Levin .................................................................................................... 8 Senator Specter ................................................................................................. 10 Senator Durbin ................................................................................................. 12 Senator Sununu ................................................................................................ 13 Senator Pryor .................................................................................................... 14 Senator Bennett ................................................................................................ 15 Senator Akaka .................................................................................................. 17 Senator Coleman .............................................................................................. 19 Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................................... 20 Senator Shelby .................................................................................................. 20 Senator Carper ................................................................................................. 21 Senator Dayton ................................................................................................. 22 WITNESS FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2003 Hon. Thomas ‘‘Tom’’ J. Ridge to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Testimony .......................................................................................................... 23 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 61 Biographical and professional information ..................................................... 71 Responses to pre-hearing questions ................................................................ 83 Responses to pre-hearing questions from Ranking Member Lieberman ..... 164 Responses to post-hearing questions from: Senator Collins .............................................................................................. 191 Senator Shelby .............................................................................................. 206 Senator Voinovich ......................................................................................... 209 Senator Lieberman ....................................................................................... 210 Senator Levin ................................................................................................ 222 Senator Akaka ............................................................................................... 225 Senator Durbin .............................................................................................. 227 Senator Carper .............................................................................................. 232 Senator Lautenberg ...................................................................................... 238 APPENDIX Congressman Robert A. Brady, a member of the U.S. House of Representa- tives from Pennsylvania, letter of support dated January 17, 2003 ................ 241 (III) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:15 Jun 19, 2003 Jkt 085336 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\85336.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PHOGAN VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:15 Jun 19, 2003 Jkt 085336 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 C:\DOCS\85336.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PHOGAN NOMINATION OF HON. THOMAS ‘‘TOM’’ J. RIDGE FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2003 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9 a.m., in room SD– 342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Susan Collins, Chairman of the Committee, presiding. Present: Senators Collins, Voinovich, Coleman, Specter, Bennett, Fitzgerald, Sununu, Shelby, Lieberman, Levin, Akaka, Durbin, Carper, Dayton, Lautenberg, and Pryor. OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN COLLINS Chairman COLLINS. The Committee will come to order. Good morning. Today, the Committee on Governmental Affairs is holding a hearing to consider the President’s nomination of Governor Tom Ridge to be the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Se- curity. The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security will be the most significant restructuring of the Federal Government in more than 50 years. It will involve the merger of 22 agencies and some 170,000 Federal employees. Managing this new Department will pose extraordinary challenges and President Bush has chosen an extraordinary leader. September 11 focused our attention on homeland security as never before. Now, we understand all too well why it is a problem if our first responders do not have compatible communications sys- tems. Interoperability has gone from being a buzz word to a matter of life and death. Now, we recognize the vulnerability posed by the 17 million shipping containers arriving in the United States from all over the world, with few of them ever being searched. And now, we understand that our Nation’s 20,000 miles of land and sea bor- ders present countless opportunities for our enemies. We also realize that we can no longer rely on an ad hoc approach to homeland security. Currently, as many as 100 agencies are re- sponsible for our security, but not one had homeland security as its primary mission. When that many entities are responsible, none is really accountable and turf battles and bureaucratic disputes are inevitable. The homeland security effort will take all of us working together—the administration, the new Secretary, and the Con- gress—to ensure the success of this reorganization to improve the security of our Nation. (1) VerDate 0ct 09 2002 10:15 Jun 19, 2003 Jkt 085336 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 C:\DOCS\85336.TXT SAFFAIRS PsN: PHOGAN 2 At the same time, we must ensure that those non-homeland se- curity functions moving to the Department are not neglected. For example, the Coast Guard has important functions related to home- land security. Its other responsibilities, particularly its search and rescue mission, are crucial in many parts of our country. On a typ- ical day, the Coast Guard saves 10 lives, interdicts 14 illegal immi- grants, inspects and repairs 135 buoys, and helps more than 2,500 commercial ships navigate into and out of U.S. ports. That is why Senator Stevens and I worked with other Members of this Com- mittee to include language in the law that would ensure that these functions are preserved. The need for stronger and better coordinated border security was the rationale for transferring the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the new Department, but the new Secretary must also ensure that more stringent border security does not unduly hinder routine and legitimate border crossings, particularly in border States. Another challenge for the new Department will be to effectively support those men and women on the front lines, our Nation’s two million first responders. The Homeland Security Act establishes an Office for State and Local Government Coordination, but it offers no assurance that the new Department will coordinate and commu- nicate effectively with State and local first responders. Senators Feingold, Carper, and I would have placed a Department liaison in each State. Ensuring that our partners at the State and local level have sufficient attention, cooperation, and resources will require more work. Given the breadth of responsibilities, this cabinet post may well be the most challenging