This week, the Department of Homeland Security officially came into existence, and the Governmental Affairs Committee, which I chair, oversaw the confirmation of its two top officials, Tom Ridge as Secretary, and Gordon England as Deputy Secretary.
The Governmental Affairs Committee oversees the new Department of Homeland Security, the most significant reorganization of the federal government since the establishment of the Department of Defense in 1947. It will involve the merger of 22 agencies and some 170,000 federal employees. Managing this new Department will pose extraordinary challenges. Indeed, Congress has not created two more challenging positions than Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security since 1947. It is therefore critical that the new Secretary and Deputy Secretary possess exceptional leadership and management skills as well as an unwavering commitment to serving our nation. I believe Tom Ridge and Gordon England posses these qualities. In short, President Bush has appointed two extraordinary men to lead the new Department.
Governor Ridge is exactly the right person to serve as first Secretary of Homeland Security. His background, temperament, and experience make him ideally qualified for the job. His resume is impressive. In addition to his current service as Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, he twice was elected governor of Pennsylvania, served six terms in Congress, and worked as an assistant district attorney.
But perhaps the clearest indication of his character is not something that you would find on his resume – it is the story of his service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. Governor Ridge was one of the few – if not the only – Harvard graduates to serve in Vietnam as an enlisted man. And he did so with distinction. Infantry Staff Sergeant Ridge was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. These are impressive credentials that speak to the character of a remarkable person. Therefore, the Committee and the Senate have voted unanimously to confirm him in his new position.
Gordon England is poised to join Secretary Ridge at the helm of the new Department of Homeland Security once the Senate approves his nomination. If confirmed — and all signs point to his swift confirmation — England will become an integral part of an impressive team. Gordon England currently serves as Secretary of the Navy, a position that he has held since May of 2001.
Secretary England came to the Navy with an impressive portfolio of management experience. He rose through the ranks at General Dynamics Corporation to become executive vice president. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in business administration from Texas Christian University.
As preparation for becoming Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, it would be difficult to beat a tour as Secretary of the Navy. As Secretary, Gordon England headed a Department with a budget of over $100 billion and consisting of 372,000 active duty and 90,000 Reserve Sailors and 172,000 active duty and 40,000 Reserve Marines. The Department of Homeland Security will bring together a civilian work force of 170,000. Secretary England has overseen nearly 190,000 civilians in the Navy. His extensive experience in managing large, complex operations in both the private and public sectors will serve him well as Deputy Secretary for Homeland Security.
Moreover, Secretary England's understanding of the Department of Defense will prove invaluable in developing the appropriate communications links and levels of coordination between the Defense and Homeland Security Departments. The Department of Defense recently established the U.S. Northern Command, or "NORCOM," to oversee and further develop land, aerospace, and sea-based military defenses of our homeland. It has also established a new Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security. It will be critical for the Department of Homeland Security to have free-flowing and constant communication with the Department of Defense as each agency performs its missions in defense of our homeland. Secretary England's knowledge will help ensure that the two Departments work as a team, not at cross purposes.
In short, I believe that Secretary Ridge and Deputy Secretary England have the experience and background, the conviction and character, to steer this new Department on a successful course. While the new Department will not make us safer overnight, at the end of the day its establishment will lead to new capabilities that will make our nation more secure. Our goal must be a Department that enables our country to better deter, detect, prepare for, and respond to a terrorist attack. To attain this goal will require not only extraordinary leadership from the Secretary but also the cooperation of the agencies transferred to the new Department and the full support of the Congress. Ultimately, the success of the new Department rests not just on Governor Ridge's broad shoulders but on all of us, and I will be working with my colleagues on the Governmental Affairs Committee to ensure their success.