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CNN Live Event/Special
Tom Ridge Sworn In
Aired January 24, 2003 - 13:17 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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, live pictures at the White House. We are waiting to witness history. We're talking about a brand new government office that will keep an eye on all potential enemies. The secretary of Homeland Security is about to take his oath of office. We're talking about the swearing in of Tom Ridge, and our Jeanne Meserve is there -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This is going to be a huge department, Kyra: 22 different agencies that have had some part of homeland security are being folded together into this one enormous entity. It will be the third largest agency in government.
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're here today, obviously, to swear in the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.
Raise your right hand. Repeat after me.
I, Tom Ridge...
TOM RIDGE, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: I, Tom Ridge...
CHENEY: Do solemnly swear...
RIDGE: Do solemnly swear...
CHENEY: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States...
RIDGE: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States...
CHENEY: Against all enemies foreign and domestic...
RIDGE: Against all enemies foreign and domestic...
CHENEY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
RIDGE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) allegiance to the same (ph)...
CHENEY: And I take this obligation freely...
RIDGE: And I take this obligation freely...
CHENEY: Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion...
RIDGE: Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion...
CHENEY: And I will well and faithful discharge...
RIDGE: And I will well and faithfully discharge...
CHENEY: The duties of the office...
RIDGE: The duties of the office...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help me God.
(APPLAUSE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming. Welcome to the White House and welcome to this historic moment.
As of today, the law creating the United States Department of Homeland Security comes into effect. And now this department has its first secretary, Thomas Joseph Ridge.
Homeland Security becomes the 15th executive department of my Cabinet. It begins a vital mission in the defense of our country.
We've learned that vast oceans no longer protect us from the dangers of a new era. This government has a responsibility to confront the threat of terror wherever it is found. And that is why we're taking the battle to America's enemies, disrupting their networks, we're destroying their camps, we got them on the run and we're going to keep them on the run.
And at home we're taking every measure to protect the American people against the serious and ongoing threat. The Department of Homeland Security will lead a comprehensive and unified effort to defend this nation. The department will analyze threats, guard our borders and airports, safeguard critical infrastructure and coordinate the response of our nation to future emergencies.
Under the leadership of Tom Ridge, more than 170,000 dedicated Americans -- dedicated professionals will have the overriding mission of protecting their fellow Americans.
In October 2001, when I established the office -- the White House Office of Homeland Security, I knew immediately that Tom was the right man for the assignment. He's a decisive, clear-thinking executive who knows how to solve problems. He's a person of integrity and a person of good judgment.
At the White House, he has done an outstanding job. And he's earned the gratitude of the American people.
This week he earned an unanimous vote of confirmation. And I want to thank the United States Senate for its swift action.
This new department will face many challenges in the year to come. The American people can be certain that the mission of homeland security will be carried out with focus and resolve with the resources the task requires. And the American people can know, as well, that the department is under the command of a superb leader who has my confidence.
Congratulations, Tom, and thank you for serving our country.
RIDGE: Thank you, Mr. President.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Thank you all.
PHILLIPS: It's official. Now the secretary of homeland security, Tom Ridge. Our Jeanne Meserve also standing by with us. She's there, she's been following this.
Jeanne, pretty quick and to the point there with the comments from the president.
MESERVE: This process was very quick, but this will be an extended process, setting up this new department because it is just so very large and you're incorporating different people from different departments who have different personnel systems, different pay scales, different seniority systems, different computer systems. It's just going to be a massive task that faces -- that faces Governor Ridge, and some people have said that it may be years before we can accurately assess whether or not this has been successful, and whether or not it actually has improved the safety of the nation -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now, Jeanne, I have a question for you. You know, usually when we go to the Pentagon, they do their briefings in a specific area, the president does his in a specific area. Where you are right now, is this the new room -- is this where Tom Ridge will hold his news conferences?
MESERVE: No, Kyra, this is temporary. Right now, we're in the Customs Service briefing room. This has been equipped with a new logo, as you can see behind me, new trappings. It is being used only in the short-term.
The new department, at least the offices of the secretary do have a home now. It's going to be located up in northwest Washington, D.C., at a Naval facility that's pretty secure, and that's exactly why they chose it. It's set back from the street. It's in the no-fly zone. It's a place that's designed to handle secure documents.
So they felt that was the best place, at least on short notice, to set up the department. Eventually, there will be some sort of press set up there, but it's going to take a little while to get it all going. This, of course, has been done on an extremely telescoped time frame. They've had to move very rapidly to set things up. And frankly, the needs of the press weren't foremost in their minds.
PHILLIPS: Just in ours. So Jeanne, 3:00 though, right, official first news conference with Tom Ridge? And we will bring that to our viewers live. MESERVE: That's right.
PHILLIPS: OK. Our Jeanne Meserve, thank you so much.
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 24, 2003 - 13:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, live pictures at the White House. We are waiting to witness history. We're talking about a brand new government office that will keep an eye on all potential enemies. The secretary of Homeland Security is about to take his oath of office. We're talking about the swearing in of Tom Ridge, and our Jeanne Meserve is there -- Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This is going to be a huge department, Kyra: 22 different agencies that have had some part of homeland security are being folded together into this one enormous entity. It will be the third largest agency in government.
RICHARD CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're here today, obviously, to swear in the new secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.
Raise your right hand. Repeat after me.
I, Tom Ridge...
TOM RIDGE, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: I, Tom Ridge...
CHENEY: Do solemnly swear...
RIDGE: Do solemnly swear...
CHENEY: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States...
RIDGE: That I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States...
CHENEY: Against all enemies foreign and domestic...
RIDGE: Against all enemies foreign and domestic...
CHENEY: (UNINTELLIGIBLE)
RIDGE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) allegiance to the same (ph)...
CHENEY: And I take this obligation freely...
RIDGE: And I take this obligation freely...
CHENEY: Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion...
RIDGE: Without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion...
CHENEY: And I will well and faithful discharge...
RIDGE: And I will well and faithfully discharge...
CHENEY: The duties of the office...
RIDGE: The duties of the office...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So help me God.
(APPLAUSE)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon. Thank you all for coming. Welcome to the White House and welcome to this historic moment.
As of today, the law creating the United States Department of Homeland Security comes into effect. And now this department has its first secretary, Thomas Joseph Ridge.
Homeland Security becomes the 15th executive department of my Cabinet. It begins a vital mission in the defense of our country.
We've learned that vast oceans no longer protect us from the dangers of a new era. This government has a responsibility to confront the threat of terror wherever it is found. And that is why we're taking the battle to America's enemies, disrupting their networks, we're destroying their camps, we got them on the run and we're going to keep them on the run.
And at home we're taking every measure to protect the American people against the serious and ongoing threat. The Department of Homeland Security will lead a comprehensive and unified effort to defend this nation. The department will analyze threats, guard our borders and airports, safeguard critical infrastructure and coordinate the response of our nation to future emergencies.
Under the leadership of Tom Ridge, more than 170,000 dedicated Americans -- dedicated professionals will have the overriding mission of protecting their fellow Americans.
In October 2001, when I established the office -- the White House Office of Homeland Security, I knew immediately that Tom was the right man for the assignment. He's a decisive, clear-thinking executive who knows how to solve problems. He's a person of integrity and a person of good judgment.
At the White House, he has done an outstanding job. And he's earned the gratitude of the American people.
This week he earned an unanimous vote of confirmation. And I want to thank the United States Senate for its swift action.
This new department will face many challenges in the year to come. The American people can be certain that the mission of homeland security will be carried out with focus and resolve with the resources the task requires. And the American people can know, as well, that the department is under the command of a superb leader who has my confidence.
Congratulations, Tom, and thank you for serving our country.
RIDGE: Thank you, Mr. President.
(APPLAUSE)
BUSH: Thank you all.
PHILLIPS: It's official. Now the secretary of homeland security, Tom Ridge. Our Jeanne Meserve also standing by with us. She's there, she's been following this.
Jeanne, pretty quick and to the point there with the comments from the president.
MESERVE: This process was very quick, but this will be an extended process, setting up this new department because it is just so very large and you're incorporating different people from different departments who have different personnel systems, different pay scales, different seniority systems, different computer systems. It's just going to be a massive task that faces -- that faces Governor Ridge, and some people have said that it may be years before we can accurately assess whether or not this has been successful, and whether or not it actually has improved the safety of the nation -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Now, Jeanne, I have a question for you. You know, usually when we go to the Pentagon, they do their briefings in a specific area, the president does his in a specific area. Where you are right now, is this the new room -- is this where Tom Ridge will hold his news conferences?
MESERVE: No, Kyra, this is temporary. Right now, we're in the Customs Service briefing room. This has been equipped with a new logo, as you can see behind me, new trappings. It is being used only in the short-term.
The new department, at least the offices of the secretary do have a home now. It's going to be located up in northwest Washington, D.C., at a Naval facility that's pretty secure, and that's exactly why they chose it. It's set back from the street. It's in the no-fly zone. It's a place that's designed to handle secure documents.
So they felt that was the best place, at least on short notice, to set up the department. Eventually, there will be some sort of press set up there, but it's going to take a little while to get it all going. This, of course, has been done on an extremely telescoped time frame. They've had to move very rapidly to set things up. And frankly, the needs of the press weren't foremost in their minds.
PHILLIPS: Just in ours. So Jeanne, 3:00 though, right, official first news conference with Tom Ridge? And we will bring that to our viewers live. MESERVE: That's right.
PHILLIPS: OK. Our Jeanne Meserve, thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
