Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

President's Sweeping Proposal Being Hailed as Major Step

Aired June 07, 2002 - 07:29   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.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The president's sweeping proposal to make homeland security a part of his cabinet is being hailed by many as a major step toward protecting the U.S. from terrorist attacks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I asked the Congress to join me in creating a single permanent department with an overriding and urgent mission, securing the homeland of America and protecting the American people. Right now as many as 100 different government agencies have some responsibilities for homeland security and no one has final accountability.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: White House aides say Tom Ridge, now homeland security director, is the odds on favorite for the cabinet nomination.

He joins us now from the White House lawn.

Welcome. Good to see you again.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: Good morning, Paula.

ZAHN: I know, Governor, critics have said that you have had your hands tied for a long time. How will this new structure change things?

RIDGE: Well, I think the president's decision to move forward with the most historic transformation of the executive branch of government will enable the new cabinet secretary to significantly improve our ability to secure America, to protect American citizens and our way of life.

ZAHN: When I was interviewing White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card after the president's speech last night he referred to you as Secretary Ridge. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW CARD, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Secretary Ridge -- I'm sorry, Governor Ridge is someone who brought agencies together without congressional authority but with the imperator of the president to make things happen and we are a much more secure nation today thanks to the president's ability to bring a homeland security conscience to the executive branch of government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: All right, come clean here, Governor. Andrew Card referring to you as secretary. Has there been any talk with you directly about that possibility?

RIDGE: No. The talk has been, one, that as we set up and work with Congress to affect the change of this very significant reorganization, we still have day to day responsibilities to coordinate activities between the various government agencies. So as the president would be inclined to direct and as Secretary Card would be inclined to say, one job at a time, and that's exactly how we're going to proceed.

ZAHN: And that's all you're going to tell me about that this morning?

All right, I'll move on then.

RIDGE: That's all this morning, Paula.

ZAHN: OK. I'm going to move on to a point that was made in a "New York Times" editorial, where they essentially said one danger with the president's proposal is that it might set up new rivalries in a bureaucracy already choking with conflict. How do you prevent that from happening?

RIDGE: Well, I, you know, there's been so much discussion, both public and perhaps some private, about the conflict among or between the agencies. But I must tell you, that's not 6t reality that I deal with or the president deals with every single day. The collaboration and cooperation between the CIA and the FBI is unprecedented. Their work on a day to day basis with our Office of Homeland Security is substantive. The consultation is direct and very, very positive.

And so, again, when I read these public accounts of all this conflict, it just does not reflect the reality as I see it and work in it every single day.

ZAHN: Governor Tom Ridge, good to see you again and thank you for your overview this morning.

RIDGE: Thank you, Paula.

ZAHN: Glad to have you with us here on AMERICAN MORNING.

RIDGE: Good to join you. Thank you very much.

ZAHN: Our pleasure.

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