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CNN Live Event/Special
America Strikes Back: Tom Ridge Sworn in as New Director of Homeland Security
Aired October 08, 2001 - 10:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: In Washington a few moments from now, Tom Ridge, now the former governor of the state of Pennsylvania, will be introduced. Again, he is the new director of homeland security. This a live picture now from Washington. CNN's Jeanne Meserve is along with us as well, and we will continue to hear two themes throughout the day here. To the American people, be patient and be alert, and we should, again, pick up on that in a moment here.
Jeanne, quickly outline the duties of Tom Ridge under this newly appointed cabinet position.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Bill, we wish we had more specificity. We don't. The executive order that will lay out specifically what his responsibilities will be will be signed at this ceremony, and the white House has been very tight lipped about it.
I can tell you that I spoke with some congressional sources. They saw drafts of this executive order. They thought that the language was pretty strong, that it directed agencies to cooperate with Ridge rather, and did give him some input into budgetary matters. But there's a huge debate going on as to whether that's going to be enough. There are plenty of people up on Capitol Hill who think he needs an agency of his own, he needs a budget of his own so he can knock heads together and force cooperation.
HEMMER: All right, Jeanne. Here's the president, and now, as I said, the former governor of Pennsylvania.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you very much.
(APPLAUSE)
Please be seated. Thank you all. Welcome to the White House. Today, I sign an executive order creating a new Homeland Security Office charged with strengthening America's protections against terrorism. And I have picked a really good man to lead that office.
(APPLAUSE)
In case you hadn't figured it out, it's Tom Ridge.
(LAUGHTER) Together, we will confront the threat of terrorism. We will take strong precautions aimed at preventing terrorist attacks and prepare to respond effectively if they might come again. We will defend our country, and while we do so, we will not sacrifice the freedoms that make our land unique.
The best defense against terror is a global offensive against terror wherever it might be found.
Yesterday, we opened another front on the war on terrorism as we began conventional military operations designed to destroy terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban government.
Secretary Don Rumsfeld, who's leading a really fine team, will brief the country this afternoon. But he informed me this morning that the military mission of yesterday was executed as planned and at the same time, that our good nation dropped over 37,000 kits of food and medicine. This is an important part of a war already underway that is being conducted on many fronts.
The first shot of the war was fired several weeks ago as we began freezing bank accounts and cutting off funding of known terrorist organizations and front groups that support them, and I appreciate so very much the secretary of treasury's work, Paul O'Neill.
We've worked aggressively on the diplomatic front developing a broad and strong coalition of countries who are united with us and involved in our campaign, and Mr. Secretary Powell and his team have done a remarkable job of rallying the lovers of freedom to our side.
Mr. Secretary, thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
Our intelligence and law enforcement agencies are working around the clock and around the world. Attorney General Ashcroft and George Tenet and Bob Mueller are all doing a fantastic job of making sure we've got the best intelligence and the best information to not only protect ourselves, but to bring the evildoers to justice. On all efforts, on all fronts, we're going to be ongoing and relentless as we tighten the net of justice.
This will be a long war. It requires understanding and patience from the American people. Members of my Cabinet understand that, and I appreciate them all being here. These are fine Americans who understand the nature of the conflict and who are prepared to join me in doing whatever it takes to win the war, not only for our country today, but for generations to come tomorrow.
It's an honor for me to welcome the Ridge family here to the White House -- former first lady of Pennsylvania, Michele Ridge, and, of course Leslie (ph) and Tommy (ph), thank you all for being here and thank you for your sacrifice.
(APPLAUSE) I want to thank all of Tom's friends for coming up from Pennsylvania. It looks like he's got a few that don't live in Pennsylvania as well.
(LAUGHTER)
Thank you all for being here.
I'm so appreciative that Clarence Thomas is here to swear in Tom. I appreciate the mayor of Washington, D.C., being here. And Mr. Mayor, thank you for your cooperation. It's just the beginning of what we need to do together to make sure our nation's capital is safe and secure.
As we've learned, we face new threats, and therefore, we need new defenses for our country. And I found the right man to coordinate that effort.
Tom Ridge has been a chief executive. He is a leader who has shown he can draw the best out of people and out of organizations. He's a decorated combat veteran of the Vietnam War. He's a patriot who has heard the sound of battle.
He's seen the reach of terror in a field in his own state. He's a man of compassion who has seen what evil can do.
I've given Tom and the Office of Homeland Security a mission to design a comprehensive, coordinated national strategy to fight terror here at home. We face a united and determined enemy. We must have a united and determined response.
The Homeland Security Office has a series of specific goals and will have my authority to meet them.
One, take the strongest possible precautions against terrorism by bringing together the best information in intelligence. In the war on terror, knowledge is power. Strengthen and help protect our transportation systems, our food and water systems and our critical infrastructure by making them less vulnerable to attack. Respond effectively to terrorist actions if they come.
The office will coordinate federal assistance with state and local efforts. America is going to be prepared. The office will work in conjunction with the new Homeland Security Council, chaired by me and made up of my Cabinet and other senior officials. The office's mission will have the full attention and complete support of the very highest levels of our government.
I know that many Americans at this time have fears. We've learned that America is not immune from attack. We've seen that evil is real. It's hard for us to comprehend the mentality of people that will destroy innocent folks the way they have, yet America is equal to this challenge. Make no mistake about it. They've roused a mighty giant.
A compassionate land will rise united to not only protect ourselves, not only make our homeland as secure as possible, but to bring the evildoers to justice so that our children might live in freedom.
It's now my honor to call Clarence Thomas up here to swear in Tom Ridge.
CLARENCE THOMAS, JUSTICE, UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT: I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will dwell and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I'm about to enter, so help me God.
TOM RIDGE, DIR. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: I, Tom Ridge, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I will dwell and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I'm about to enter, so help me God.
(APPLAUSE)
Thank you, Mr. President. I'm honored to join the extraordinary team you have assembled to lead America.
The attack of September 11 changed our nation in so many ways, starting with the lives of the thousands of victims and their families. It changed the lives of our men and women in uniform, who are courageously defending our nation today. It changed the course of my own state Pennsylvania, which now has a new governor. And it changed the way we look at homeland security, defending our borders from an attack and ensuring our preparedness should one occur.
Americans should find comfort in knowing that millions of their fellow citizens are working every day to ensure our security at every level -- federal, state, county municipal. These are dedicated professionals who are good at what they do. I've seen it up close as governor of Pennsylvania. But there may be gaps in the system. The job of the Office of Homeland Security will be to identify those gaps and work to close them.
The size and scope of this challenge are immense. The president's executive order states that we must detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks. An extraordinary mission, but we will carry it out.
I am optimistic because of your leadership, Mr. President, because of the unprecedented support for you throughout the country and among my old friends in Congress, because we will have the very best people working on it and because our country's shared sense of duty and mission is unprecedented.
And we will operate from a few basic principles. First, candor, no one should be wary of coming forward when they see a problem. It's the only way to define a solution. The urgency of our task dictates candor about our challenges and confidence in our ability to solve them.
The second, cooperation, we must open lines of communication and support like never before between agencies and departments, between federal and state and local entities and between the public and private sectors. We must be task oriented. The only turf we should be worried about protecting is the turf we stand on.
Finally, as the president stated, we will continue to secure liberty as we secure this nation. Liberty is the most precious gift we offer to our citizens. It's what the terrorists fear most, what they tried to destroy on September 11. We will work to ensure that the essential liberty of the American people is protected, that terrorists will not take away our way of life.
It's called homeland security. While the effort will begin here, it will require the involvement of America at every level.
Everyone in the homeland must play a part. I ask the American people for their patience, their awareness and their resolve. This job calls for a national effort. We've seen it before, whether it was building the transcontinental railroad, fighting World War II or putting a man on the moon; there are some things we can do immediately and we will. Others will take more time, but we will find something for every American to do.
My friends in the Army Corps of Engineers remind me of their motto. Secretary Powell is familiar with it. The difficult we do immediately; the impossible takes a little longer. That's the attitude we need. The task before us is difficult, but not impossible.
With your leadership, Mr. President, and with everyone working as one, I have no doubt we will be up to the task.
Thanks.
(APPLAUSE)
HEMMER: Calling it an extraordinary mission, Tom Ridge now the new director, a cabinet position, new director of homeland security. The statement and the stroke of the pen by the president a short time ago at the White House there. You saw it live.
Basic principles to be followed according to the former governor of the state of Pennsylvania. He mentioned candor. He mentioned cooperation between agencies, saying there are no turf wars at this time, and also talked about securing liberty. He calls it the most precious gift to the White House.
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