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CNN Live Today

Bush Urges Congress to Approve Homeland Security Cabinet Department

Aired June 11, 2002 - 14:11   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush says the capture of dirty bomb suspect Jose Padilla shows a vast improvement in coordination of efforts among government agencies, but he still wants a Homeland Security Cabinet Department.

That brings us to CNN's John King. He is at the White House.

Hello John.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Kyra.

And the president says he needs that department as a critical continuing weapon in the war on terrorism because he says there are others like this suspect still out there trying to plan and carry out terrorist strikes against the United States.

The president picking up some very positive words of endorsement today. He met here at the White House this morning with a bipartisan group from the Congress. Mr. Bush asking them to move quickly to create this new Department of Homeland Security. It would shift dozens of government agencies from other departments into this new one central location, 170,000 federal workers in all.

The president making the case this morning at the White House that this department is critical, not only to him, but to future administrations as well, because, Mr. Bush says, in many ways the war on terrorism is just beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're in for a long struggle in this war on terror, and there are people that still want to harm America. And we have an obligation to our citizens to work together to do everything we can to protect the people. And that commitment is shared by Republican and Democrat alike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: The Democrats who run the Senate say they will begin hearings this week even though they won't get the formal legislation from the White House for another two weeks or so. The Republican speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, says the House will move as quickly as possible as well. The House Democratic leader, Dick Gephardt, even suggesting that Congress get about this business and pass this legislation, create the new department by September 11. He said that would be a fitting tribute to those killed in the attacks if they could do it by the one-year anniversary.

Walking outside of the White House with the key members of Congress at that meeting was the president's point man on Homeland Security, Tom Ridge. He says this bipartisan spirit is proof that the administration and the Congress can work together across party lines when it comes to fighting the war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: It's even more revealing and refreshing to note that the leadership of both parties and in both chambers are going to do everything they can working with the president and this administration to move the process along as quickly as possible, that the voices on The Hill be heard working with the executive branch in order to accomplish this very important task as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Mr. Bush left the White House not long after that meeting. He will be in Kansas City, Missouri later today visiting a water treatment plant. That stop designed to put the focus of the American people on this new department the president wants but also on what he says is the continuing threat. Mr. Bush will make the case that al Qaeda and other terrorists continue to look for targets here in the United States and that infrastructure like water treatment plants would be likely targets. The president will say this new department is critical so that the federal government can better coordinate with state and local agencies.

And as the president outlines the continuing threat, we also are told that recently the government passed along to law enforcement agencies a very low-level advisory. It is based on unsubstantiated intelligence. But among the chatter, if you will, that law enforcement officials say they are picking up in intelligence circles is the threat, the possibility of a nerve gas attack on a major subway system around the July 4 holiday. Again, we emphasize that information passed on, it is not substantiated. But that is part of the new exchange of information that we have seen from the government to law enforcement agencies in recent months -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: And, John King, we're paying attention to everything. Thanks so much.

And Homeland Security director Tom Ridge will be a guest on CNN's "INSIDE POLITICS." Be sure to join us at 4:00 Eastern, 1:00 Pacific.

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