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American Morning
Interview with Tom Ridge
Aired September 03, 2002 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We have been talking about Congress, and the Senate returns from the summer break today, the House tomorrow. Between now and the time members recess again for midterm elections, there is going to be much Senate debate over the shape of the president's new cabinet level Department of Homeland Defense. The House has already passed its version.
Joining us now from the White House, the president's director of homeland security now, Tom Ridge.
Good to see you again, Governor.
Welcome back.
TOM RIDGE, DIRECTOR, HOMELAND SECURITY: Oh, nice to join you.
Thank you.
ZAHN: Governor, before we talk about the debate in Congress over what this new department might look like, I wanted to look off or look ahead a week and a half to September 11. Are you aware of any specific threats related to the marking of that dreadful day?
RIDGE: Paula, fortunately at this, at least at this juncture, there's no credible intelligence that points specifically toward September 11. But obviously the significance for both this country and for our enemies is well recognized. And I'm confident that on that day, as all Americans have been since September 11, whether they're in government or not, that we'll continue to be aware and vigilant and that on the day respectful, mourning the people who we've lost and celebrating the heroes that we discovered on that day, as well.
ZAHN: Will there be any specific or special precautions in place that day, particularly as the president moves about the country, as he actually comes to ground zero to mark that year mark?
RIDGE: Well, Paula, the president's security detail and the Secret Service have always taken the kind of precautions necessary based upon the event and the information available to them and there certainly won't be any change in that, as well, on this particular day.
ZAHN: Let's talk about what might happen and the debate between now and then on the new homeland security department. Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat of Florida, was on in the last hour and he said there's no way the Senate's going to give you what the president wants, particularly in terms of executive control of controlling who's hired, who's fired and control of some 22 agencies.
Is there any room for compromise here in the weeks to come?
RIDGE: Well, the president is hopeful that in the weeks ahead, as we try to put together this massive organization of 170,000 people, that Congress recognizes that the president needs the kind of discretion to reorganize the executive branch of the government so that we can take advantage of the 170,000 men and women who have been providing homeland security, doing homeland security work for years and years.
Clearly, the president believes when you cobble together -- I mean one of the challenges we have right now is that the Senate version just wants to piecemeal and bolt pieces of this organization together. And you really need to integrate. You really need to consolidate. You need to reorganize.
The president needs the flexibility to move people and resources around and I'm hopeful that once the debate has concluded, we get these amendments through the process, that we can get a bill to the president that he can sign.
ZAHN: The Democrats are saying, or at least some of them, that what the president wants is such a broad reach that in some cases they're calling it dictatorial. What's your response to their criticism?
RIDGE: Well, I would say that they need to take a look at some of the legislation that they have passed previous to the proposed Department of Homeland Security. There's some flexibility in the department, the new agency they created for the Transportation Security Administration. There's flexibility they have given historically to other departments within the executive branch of the government.
And if you take a look at the discretions and the prerogatives that the president seeks for this particular department, you'll find that Congress historically has given it to other presidents and other departments.
ZAHN: So you're, are you telling me, then, that you expect this all to be worked out and the president will get what he wants? Or that he'll veto what the Senate's going to send his way?
RIDGE: Well, I believe that at the end of the day the men and women on the Hill, the Congress of the United States, understand that the president's number one job, and, frankly, their job as it relates to this new department, is to give the president the tools that he needs within the executive branch to take advantage of the technology and the people that we have in this new department. And I'm going to be very cautious but very optimistic that we can get it done.
We still have some work to do, Paula. But I believe that Congress understands that it should be the president's prerogative to reorganize the executive branch of the government in a more effective and efficient manner, particularly when the number one mission is homeland security.
ZAHN: I guess what has a lot of Americans concerned is that General Accounting survey, which indicated that it's going to be five to 10 years, in the words of the GAO, to have a meaningful and sustainable results in a homeland security department. Is it true? Is it going to take that long?
RIDGE: Well, Paula, I don't know whether it's the five year mark or the 10 year mark is accurate, but if you take a look at any merger or acquisition that has occurred in the private sector, if you take a look at any of the organization that has occurred within the federal government, it is no secret, and it should not be surprising to anyone, that it will take some time when you're pulling together this number of departments or agencies and this number of people together in order to get it done.
But one of the reasons the president feels so strongly about getting the flexibility is that he believes that it will facilitate that time frame in order to enable us to provide the best kind of security, the best kind of protection that's humanly possible.
But without these management tools, Paula, all the Congress would be doing is literally bolting together these different departments and agencies, and that is not a very effective way to protect our citizens and our way of life. We need that flexibility.
ZAHN: OK, let me ask you this, whether it's five years or 10 years off or whatever it is, if you're offered the job, do you want it?
RIDGE: Oh, at some point in time the president is going to make that, make a decision and maybe at that point in time you and I can have this conversation.
ZAHN: Well, you make sure you come back by here and talk to us if that eventuality arises.
RIDGE: Well, I like the job I'm doing now and it's an honor to serve my president in this capacity. But we'll see what happens in the future.
Thank you.
ZAHN: Great.
Governor Tom Ridge, director of homeland security, appreciate your time this morning.
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