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American Morning
Interview with Rep. Jane Harman
Aired February 11, 2003 - 08:06 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 Bush administration is advising Americans on how to get ready for the possibility of a disaster. With the nationwide terror alert warning at its second highest level, code orange, homeland security officials are telling Americans to do, among other things, stock up on enough food and water for three days, have an emergency supply kit at home and in your car. They also recommend buying duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal homes in case of a chemical or biological attack. And keep extra batteries on hand for radios.
Congresswoman Jane Harmon of California is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. She joins us now from Washington.
Good morning, welcome back to the broadcast.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D-CA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Thank you -- Paula.
ZAHN: Representative Harmon, when most Americans see that list we just put up on the screen, it sends chills down their spines.
HARMAN: Yes.
ZAHN: I know it does that to mine. Did you ever think we'd see a time when we have to put up lists like that on -- to warn folks in America?
HARMAN: Well I saw the last time. I was a small child in the '50s and remember the civil defense drills. This is prudent. I support this, even though it is terrifying my own children, two of whom live in New York, and one of whom I advised not to take the subway which he regularly takes to law school, but I think this is the right thing to do. Let me say, however, that two things are missing.
First of all, I want to be absolutely certain that the administration, our government is sharing with first responders, police, fire and health folks, in our hometowns the precise information they have about what the threats are. I've seen a lot of this, because I'm a ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, but this information has to be shared with those on our streets. That's first.
But the second thing is, and I think this is an even higher priority than preparations for action in Iraq, we have not funded our Homeland Security Department. And specifically, we promised $3.5 billion to first responders, none of which has been provided. I would say to this administration that its highest priority in the next few days is to write that check and get that money out. Congress hasn't acted on the 2003 budget, which that fiscal year started last October, but if the administration pushes Congress, and a lot of us in Congress want this done, it will get done. And Mitch Daniels, the director of OMB, who is trying to hold the line on the budget, something I applaud, actually, must have a mother, a sister, a -- you know children in some hometown, and if we're attacked in America, and we could well be, that will be what everyone focuses on, not war planning.
ZAHN: How likely do you think the possibility of an attack is here on U.S. soil?
HARMAN: We cannot rule it out. And it doesn't only relate to preparations in Iraq. We should have learned on 9/11 that al Qaeda has been here and perhaps other terrorist groups as well. There are cells in America. We're beginning to wrap them up in Buffalo and elsewhere, but they have been planning attacks for a long time. Whatever may be coming our way, and I do agree that the chatter, as they say, is higher than it's ever been and it's very credible. Whatever's coming our way could have been in the works for two years, long before we were focusing on Iraq. I think Iraq is accelerating some of this planning, but it is really critical that Americans listen up, but also that the administration share information with first responders and fund this department.
I talked to Tom Ridge yesterday about this. He's as baffled as I am about why this money hasn't come. He's pushing. I've spoken to Secretary Rumsfeld and made clear that I think the most important part of any preparation for action in Iraq is to make sure our hometowns are safe.
ZAHN: Finally, though, you've raised this point twice, and I actually took notes where you say this information, intelligence information...
HARMAN: Yes.
ZAHN: ... has to be shared with first responders.
HARMAN: Yes.
ZAHN: Are you suggesting this morning that the federal government is intentionally withholding information from these first responders?
HARMAN: Well I don't know. There's -- here's the problem, Paula, that how we get this information is from informants or from technology devices. And if we reveal the information, then we're tipping our hand about what our capabilities are and we may be shutting them down and endangering lives. This was the same tradeoff Secretary Powell went through when he revealed some information on Iraq. We have to make some tough choices about what information to share.
But if, you know let's just pick something, some site in Washington, D.C. is at risk, and this is just hypothetical, I want the police and fire and emergency folks in this town where I am physically sitting at the moment and where part of my family is to know what the threat is so they know what to look for and what to do. You know having our first responders blindsided is not a homeland security program. So the goal is to share enough information, not compromising sources and methods so that we equip our first responders.
But it's not just information, they need protective gear, they need sensors to detect what biological or chemical agent could have been used. They need training. They need reinforcement. You know they're all working 24/7, that's not a program to keep them alert. They need a lot of people.
I held a summit in Los Angeles County, my district's in Los Angeles County, California,...
ZAHN: Right.
HARMAN: ... a week ago, and got a shopping list for what they need there. It's the largest county in the country. They need about $125 million...
ZAHN: Wow!
HARMAN: ... and that would be their pro rata share of the $3.5 billion. The clock is not just ticking, it's past time to provide this money to our hometowns.
ZAHN: We will...
HARMAN: Every American should get it.
ZAHN: We will be keeping a close eye on this subject. Representative Jane Harman, thanks for spending a little part of your morning with us this morning.
HARMAN: Thank you, Paula.
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 February 11, 2003 - 08:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is advising Americans on how to get ready for the possibility of a disaster. With the nationwide terror alert warning at its second highest level, code orange, homeland security officials are telling Americans to do, among other things, stock up on enough food and water for three days, have an emergency supply kit at home and in your car. They also recommend buying duct tape and plastic sheeting to seal homes in case of a chemical or biological attack. And keep extra batteries on hand for radios.
Congresswoman Jane Harmon of California is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. She joins us now from Washington.
Good morning, welcome back to the broadcast.
REP. JANE HARMAN (D-CA), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Thank you -- Paula.
ZAHN: Representative Harmon, when most Americans see that list we just put up on the screen, it sends chills down their spines.
HARMAN: Yes.
ZAHN: I know it does that to mine. Did you ever think we'd see a time when we have to put up lists like that on -- to warn folks in America?
HARMAN: Well I saw the last time. I was a small child in the '50s and remember the civil defense drills. This is prudent. I support this, even though it is terrifying my own children, two of whom live in New York, and one of whom I advised not to take the subway which he regularly takes to law school, but I think this is the right thing to do. Let me say, however, that two things are missing.
First of all, I want to be absolutely certain that the administration, our government is sharing with first responders, police, fire and health folks, in our hometowns the precise information they have about what the threats are. I've seen a lot of this, because I'm a ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, but this information has to be shared with those on our streets. That's first.
But the second thing is, and I think this is an even higher priority than preparations for action in Iraq, we have not funded our Homeland Security Department. And specifically, we promised $3.5 billion to first responders, none of which has been provided. I would say to this administration that its highest priority in the next few days is to write that check and get that money out. Congress hasn't acted on the 2003 budget, which that fiscal year started last October, but if the administration pushes Congress, and a lot of us in Congress want this done, it will get done. And Mitch Daniels, the director of OMB, who is trying to hold the line on the budget, something I applaud, actually, must have a mother, a sister, a -- you know children in some hometown, and if we're attacked in America, and we could well be, that will be what everyone focuses on, not war planning.
ZAHN: How likely do you think the possibility of an attack is here on U.S. soil?
HARMAN: We cannot rule it out. And it doesn't only relate to preparations in Iraq. We should have learned on 9/11 that al Qaeda has been here and perhaps other terrorist groups as well. There are cells in America. We're beginning to wrap them up in Buffalo and elsewhere, but they have been planning attacks for a long time. Whatever may be coming our way, and I do agree that the chatter, as they say, is higher than it's ever been and it's very credible. Whatever's coming our way could have been in the works for two years, long before we were focusing on Iraq. I think Iraq is accelerating some of this planning, but it is really critical that Americans listen up, but also that the administration share information with first responders and fund this department.
I talked to Tom Ridge yesterday about this. He's as baffled as I am about why this money hasn't come. He's pushing. I've spoken to Secretary Rumsfeld and made clear that I think the most important part of any preparation for action in Iraq is to make sure our hometowns are safe.
ZAHN: Finally, though, you've raised this point twice, and I actually took notes where you say this information, intelligence information...
HARMAN: Yes.
ZAHN: ... has to be shared with first responders.
HARMAN: Yes.
ZAHN: Are you suggesting this morning that the federal government is intentionally withholding information from these first responders?
HARMAN: Well I don't know. There's -- here's the problem, Paula, that how we get this information is from informants or from technology devices. And if we reveal the information, then we're tipping our hand about what our capabilities are and we may be shutting them down and endangering lives. This was the same tradeoff Secretary Powell went through when he revealed some information on Iraq. We have to make some tough choices about what information to share.
But if, you know let's just pick something, some site in Washington, D.C. is at risk, and this is just hypothetical, I want the police and fire and emergency folks in this town where I am physically sitting at the moment and where part of my family is to know what the threat is so they know what to look for and what to do. You know having our first responders blindsided is not a homeland security program. So the goal is to share enough information, not compromising sources and methods so that we equip our first responders.
But it's not just information, they need protective gear, they need sensors to detect what biological or chemical agent could have been used. They need training. They need reinforcement. You know they're all working 24/7, that's not a program to keep them alert. They need a lot of people.
I held a summit in Los Angeles County, my district's in Los Angeles County, California,...
ZAHN: Right.
HARMAN: ... a week ago, and got a shopping list for what they need there. It's the largest county in the country. They need about $125 million...
ZAHN: Wow!
HARMAN: ... and that would be their pro rata share of the $3.5 billion. The clock is not just ticking, it's past time to provide this money to our hometowns.
ZAHN: We will...
HARMAN: Every American should get it.
ZAHN: We will be keeping a close eye on this subject. Representative Jane Harman, thanks for spending a little part of your morning with us this morning.
HARMAN: Thank you, Paula.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
