DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PROPOSAL GETS HEARING BEFORE SENATE GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The President's proposal to reorganize the federal government to establish a Department of Homeland Security got its first Congressional hearing today before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Committee, has indicated support for the President's plan, saying that we must improve coordination among federal, state, and local governments, as well as the private sector.

"Since September 11th, much has been done to make our nation more secure. Congress has authorized the expenditure of billions of dollars; the Administration has created an Office of Homeland Security and proposed tens of billions of dollars in additional spending to secure our borders, protect critical infrastructure, and train and equip first responders, and the President has signed into law the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002," said Senator Collins.

"There is still much work to be done. Perhaps the most important is reorganizing the federal government to provide the best possible structure to deal with current and future threats to our security.

"We must improve coordination among federal, state and local governments, as well as the private sector. We must have adequate funding. We must avoid wasteful duplication. We must have realistic plans and effective training and exercises. We must also ensure that information about the presence of terrorists and potential threats is shared among federal agencies, so that the ‘Berlin Walls' that have impeded communication and cooperation are taken down once and for all."

The President's plan would combine 22 federal agencies with just over 170,000 employees and a total proposed fiscal 2003 budget of $37.5 billion. The mission of the new department would be to:

• Prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; • Reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism; and ∙ Minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur.

The Department of Homeland Security would have four divisions:

∙ Border and Transportation Security; • Emergency Preparedness and Response; ∙ Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures; and • Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.

"The magnitude and complexity of the task are daunting. The implications of our decisions are great. While we cannot afford to rush to a judgment we will later regret, we cannot afford to delay. We must get this one right," the Senator said. "Our future may well depend on it."