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CNN Live Event/Special

Ridge Presents Bush Plan on Homeland Security Office

Aired June 18, 2002 - 11:09   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.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: With that in mind, as we watch Israel deal with its own homeland security issues, we turn now to those of the U.S. We understand that we just see homeland director -- the security director, Ridge, now introducing the plan that the Bush administration has put together.

TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR: ... both the House and the Senate, former colleagues, all Republicans and Democrats, and to deliver to the leaders the president's proposal to establish a department of homeland security.

During the past several months, all of us have spoken a great deal about the need for partnerships in defending the homeland and the development of partnerships in the interest of homeland security. Partnerships between the federal government, the state and the local governments. All of us have said that the homeland security when the hometown is secure. So clearly the federal government has a responsibility and the opportunity to develop a different kind of partnership with our friends at the state and local government, but also partnerships between the public and private sectors.

Clearly, that's in order, in as much as 80 to 90 percent of the critical infrastructure is owned by the private sector and they want to help. And this new department will find ways to see to it that these partnerships are created between and among the interest in the public and the private sector.

But the most important, and I believe the most historic partnership that we need to forge -- and I think we're well along our way -- is the partnership between the executive branch and the legislative branches of government. As history has shown, and the Congress of the United States and the president of the United States unite, no challenge is too great, no cause is out of reach, no dream is impossible, whether it's winning a world war, a cold war or the war on terrorism.

All of us have been given an awesome responsibility. The responsibility to protect Americans and the American way of life. While they were under attack from a shadow enemy, an unseen cold- blooded enemy, Congress stood with the president and the American people on September 11th. Congress stood with the president when he deployed our military to defeat the Taliban. Congress stood with the president when he created the office of homeland security within the White House. And now together we have a chance to take the next critical step. It's pretty clear in my many conversations with the leadership in both chambers and men and women on both sides of the aisle, that both branches of government share the same commitment, the same sense of urgency, the same vision. And it's an honor for me to deliver the president's bill to establish a Department of Homeland Security, because we also share the same mutual objective. And I'm confident that with the continuing bipartisan support that we've seen time and time again since 9/11, this is a mission that we'll be able to accomplish together once again.

Thank you.

HARRIS: And with that speech, Director of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, makes it official and he delivers the bill that structures the new Department of Homeland Security on to the Senate and congressional leadership, and they'll have the task of considering that from here on in.

Let's check in now with our Kate Snow on Capitol Hill -- Kate.

KATE SNOW, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Leon, this now goes to, of course, both the House and the Senate. They're going to spend the next few weeks looking over the bill and trying to figure it out. It's interesting, because you've got two different chambers, and they've come up with two different ways to handle the legislation.

It's a little bit nitty gritty and inside baseball, but it matters because it's going to have a lot to do with how fast they're able to push this on through. As we've mentioned, they're going to try to get it done as fast as they can, hopefully before 9/11, before the anniversary of September 11th. But that's going to be really tricky, because they've really only got about a month now before the big August recess that they're planning on taking.

The House is planning to get to work right away. Speaker Hastert, just a moment ago, right before you went to Governor Ridge there, said, "We're not going to put haste in the way of doing this right." So indicating that they don't want to rush too quickly. But they are going to give it out -- give this bill -- pieces of it -- to various different committees from the transportation committee to the judiciary committee, even the agriculture committee has a say in this bill.

So that makes it a really complicated process. In fact, Leon, we learned that last night the majority leader, Dick Armey, had what was called by some congressional aides a heeded meeting, a heeded discussion with some of the committee chairman all arguing over their jurisdiction and who is going to handle what. So it's going to be really complicated.

On the Senate side, Senator Daschle has committed to taking it up sometime in July. Remember that Senator Joseph Lieberman had already pushed through a bill that's rather similar to what the White House wants to do now in restructuring. So they've got sort of a base that they can work with. They're going to try to re-craft what Lieberman had already done and make it match up a little more closely with what the White House wants.

But we're going to be watching this very closely, Leon, to see how quickly they can make all this happen. Hearings expected to begin in full force, lots of them, next week -- Leon.

HARRIS: Yeah, and they'll get a chance to prove what they can do when there's a real priority. We'll see how quickly they move on this.

SNOW: Yeah, exactly.

HARRIS: All right, thanks, Kate. Kate Snow on Capitol Hill.

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