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CNN Live At Daybreak

Tom Ridge Travels to Miami to Give First Official Speech

Aired January 30, 2003 - 06:25   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly a week after being sworn in to lead the Homeland Security Department, Tom Ridge travels this morning to Miami to give his first official speech.
And we're giving our Jeanne Meserve a wake up call in Washington for more on Ridge's day -- good morning, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The same to you, Carol.

Tom Ridge heading off, as you mentioned, to Miami this morning. This is his very first trip as secretary of the brand new Department of Homeland Security. He'll be looking at some Coast Guard, Customs and Transportation Security Administration facilities that will soon be folded into his department and he'll be talking to some of the employees soon to come under his umbrella.

Ridge, in his first press conference last Friday after his swearing in, said that the employees are his number one priority. He said he wants to make sure he incorporates their ideas into building a more coherent homeland security structure.

He also has some hand holding to do. These employees are about to see a major shift in their world. They don't know who they're going to work for, for example, or what their, how their job mission might change. So expect Ridge to address some of those concerns. And aides say he will also lay out some of his goals for the new department -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jeanne Meserve, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 30, 2003 - 06:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Nearly a week after being sworn in to lead the Homeland Security Department, Tom Ridge travels this morning to Miami to give his first official speech.
And we're giving our Jeanne Meserve a wake up call in Washington for more on Ridge's day -- good morning, Jeanne.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The same to you, Carol.

Tom Ridge heading off, as you mentioned, to Miami this morning. This is his very first trip as secretary of the brand new Department of Homeland Security. He'll be looking at some Coast Guard, Customs and Transportation Security Administration facilities that will soon be folded into his department and he'll be talking to some of the employees soon to come under his umbrella.

Ridge, in his first press conference last Friday after his swearing in, said that the employees are his number one priority. He said he wants to make sure he incorporates their ideas into building a more coherent homeland security structure.

He also has some hand holding to do. These employees are about to see a major shift in their world. They don't know who they're going to work for, for example, or what their, how their job mission might change. So expect Ridge to address some of those concerns. And aides say he will also lay out some of his goals for the new department -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, Jeanne Meserve, thanks for waking up early with DAYBREAK. We appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com