|
Hearing ridge { June 20 2002 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/20/politics/21RIDGE-TEXT.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/20/politics/21RIDGE-TEXT.html
June 20, 2002
Text of Congressional Hearing on the Proposed Homeland Security Dept.
ollowing is the text of a Congressional hearing of the House Government Reform Committee on the proposed Homeland Security Depa
REP. BURTON: The committee will come to order. Today we're meeting to begin considering the president's proposal to create a Ho
I'm very glad that he's here to explain the president's plan and to answer our questions. For the last couple of months, a lot
These are very important questions. We ought to get answers. It's important to learn from the mistakes that were made in the pa
But it's also important for us to look forward. We need to take the steps that are necessary to prevent another terrorist attac
Congress is going to act on the president's proposal. And I believe we'll do it in a bipartisan way, and that's very important.
I think this committee is in a good position to take on this challenge. First, it's our jurisdiction. This committee is respons
This subcommittee has been looking at these issues for more than two years. We have seven subcommittees that oversee every face
Last fall, at the full committee, we heard Benjamin Netanyahu, the former prime minister of Israel, talk about how they've deal
One thing is clear. If we're going to do this, it has to be bipartisan. We have to work together, Republicans and Democrats. We
We've got a lot of work to do and we don't have a lot of time to do it. We just received the bill two days ago. I think all the
In his message to Congress, the president said, quote, "The threat of terrorism is a permanent condition. It's not going to go
When the stakes are this high, we can't have the responsibility for homeland security spread out over 100 different agencies. T
I'm going to ask all of my members here in the committee to limit their opening statements to three minutes or less. If members
And with that, Mr. Waxman is not yet here, but his good friend and my good friend, Mr. Lantos, is here. So we'll start with him
REP. TOM LANTOS (D-CA): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I'm glad to welcome our good friend, Tom Ridge. I want to commen
Following September 11th, phase one, the immediate task of giving the president all the powers that he needs to conduct the war
The session wasn't so long because the issue was controversial. It was long because every member chose to speak on the subject.
This legislation and your new department is the second phase. Now we have had some time to look at the organizational structure
You will note, Tom, that you will have the same bipartisan support, wall to wall, that the president had with his initial propo
Our concerns are not with the need to establish this new department. Democrats have advocated it for a long time. But we are de
There is no monopoly on wisdom in this body or in the government at large. And we Democrats will be making constructive and pos
Let me just say that the State Department had a rather interesting test case, pilot study, of how difficult it is, even in the
You will be inheriting a tremendous array of agencies with profoundly different cultures. And one of the things we'll be lookin
Now, one item will be non-negotiable on the Democratic side, and that is the job security of every single federal employee in a
Finally, let me just suggest that you have our profound good will. You have demonstrated, with your own personal career, a degr
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Lantos. And now I'd like to introduce Chris Shays, the chairman of the Subcommittee on National Sec
REP. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS (R-CT): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding these hearings. And I have a terrif
In the course of the 28 hearings on global terrorism, our subcommittee has traveled the twisted bureaucratic byways and dead-en
And we learned this hard fact. The menace of global terrorism respects no moral, legal or political boundaries. Terrorism cuts
In another age, in the fact of another mortal challenge to our serenity and sovereignty, President Abraham Lincoln advised Cong
At this moment in history, saving our country requires bold action to reshape and refocus instruments of government's most fund
The president asked us to establish a Department of Homeland Security with sufficient reach, strength, agility and efficiency t
Recent news reports should chasten anyone attempting to indulge the old habits of division and delay. That we captured a terror
There is time for serious discussion and debate. There is no time for dilatory tactics or purely theoretical musings on the uni
Mindful of the vigilance and sacrifice upon which we build, let the process to restructure our homeland defense proceed with th
And I just would say this one last point. I know this bill isn't perfect. I know this bill needs some work. But together, Repub
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Shays. We will recognize the members in order of their arrival, but the one exception will be, of c
REP. HENRY WAXMAN (D-CA): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate your recognizing me. And I apologize; I wasn't here w
Today's hearing addresses how to organize our government to fight terrorism. This is an important subject. Our government can d
This is not a partisan issue but a national one. Leadership from the White House is essential. But as we embark on this reorgan
As a professor of management at Columbia University recently remarked, to think that a structural solution can bring about a ma
We have to improve airline security and enhance the performance of the new Transportation Security Administration. But this reo
But it isn't clear how adding another intelligence agency and a new bureaucracy helps fix this. For example, there is nothing i
Well, I'm not opposed to reorganization. In fact, I'm convinced that there are steps we can take that will make sense and impro
There is an old adage that those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat it. But we may do exactly this in our head
The model that we are supposed to be emulating is the creation of the Department of Defense 50 years ago. But for over 35 years
To avoid the mistakes of the past, we have to do a careful job. But the process we're following is not encouraging. The reorgan
Moreover, the White House proposal we are considering today was put together by a handful of political appointees working in se
Here in Congress, we are operating under an expedited schedule that is likely to make thoughtful deliberation difficult. If we
These days there seems to be a lot of bipartisan self- congratulation going on, which makes us all feel good. And we want to wo
But the time for congratulations and elaborate ceremonies will come when we've captured Osama bin Laden and the other al Qaeda
We have a long way to reach these goals. It is our job to ensure that the new bureaucracy we are creating makes a positive and
Mr. Chairman, I want to pledge to you my cooperation, to Governor Ridge as well, to work with you to accomplish these goals tha
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Waxman. We look forward to working with you as well. Mr. Horn.
REP. STEVE HORN (R-CA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As you know, we have a Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Manage
Specifically, the subcommittees focused on biological, chemical, nuclear agents. We have especially been interested in taking t
These hearings are the result of obviously what occurred on September 11th. We learned that the public health system is woefull
In part, that problem stems from the chiefs' lack of security clearances. I've introduced H.R. 3483 and given it to the chairma
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 specifically addressed many concerns that have been raised during our hearings, such as the n
And I think looking at the competition of intelligence is particularly important -- CIA, NSA, national reconnaissance and so fo
And Mr. Chairman, we can go through other things, but let's stop right there.
REP. BURTON: Thank you very much, Mr. Horn; appreciate your sticking to the three minutes. Very nice.
Mr. Kucinich.
REP. DENNIS KUCINICH (D-OH): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I also want to thank Governor Ridge for his appearance. Governo
We will continue the White House proposal to make the Office of Homeland Security a Cabinet-level agency, fairly, comprehensive
In October, committee leaders wrote a bipartisan letter to President Bush based on our committee's work in the past on this iss
To this day, the administration has conducted no such assessment. When the president created Governor Ridge's position, the exe
It makes much greater sense for Governor Ridge to first complete his national strategy to ensure that this new Department of Ho
The underlying flaw with creating a new organization, such as a Cabinet-level homeland security agency, without having conducte
I want to say that we all want to be assured of the security of our nation. We want to do everything we can to calm the fears o
I hope that the conduct of these proceedings will include a discussion of causality as well as casualties, a discussion of the
In the past four months, we've heard about one alert after another, including a full-scale alert when the Patriot bill was brou
We still have questions that have not been resolved about anthrax, which affected this Capitol in a way that nothing else has;
Finally, I want to say, Governor, on this Fourth of July, there'll be people all over the country putting their hands over thei
In his work, Francis Scott Key linked freedom and bravery. We need to remember where we've come from as a nation; that no matte
Thank you.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Kucinich. Mr. Schrock.
REP. ED SCHROCK (R-VA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Governor Ridge, for being here today. I appreciate all the hard
In the second congressional district of Virginia, which I represent, the greatest security threat we face is an attack on our s
The detonation of a ship-based weapon of mass destruction would have disastrous effects on our military and our economy. Under
These agencies have different, often limited powers to search and inspect ships and cargo, and lack a formal process for sharin
Putting these agencies under one umbrella will enable them to communicate more effectively and work together, filling the secur
I am confident the president's proposal will ensure that security remains our top priority during the inspection of ships, whil
Again, thank you for joining us today. You and the president are doing a great job under very difficult and unique circumstance
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Schrock. Mr. Tierney.
REP. JOHN TIERNEY (D-MA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to welcome the White House's proposal to centralize responsibility
I want to give a great deal of credit to my colleague, Chris Shays from Connecticut, who has, with his subcommittee, been havin
As we consider the president's proposal today, we do it in a spirit of cooperation. We offer it to and expect it from the admin
We on the Governor Reform Committee, whose job it is to identify the best practices and lessons learned in government operation
A month ago, Director Ridge was here to brief us. I spoke with you then, Director Ridge, and I'll say it to you again today, th
Last week, we were told that there would be no fiscal year 2003 budget justifications, and that just simply is not credible. No
While we applaud the effort to consolidate resources, we do question certain choices. Three examples are intelligence, the Coas
FBI whistleblower, Coleen Rowley, shared with the American people her bureaucratic horror story of having critical information
The Coast Guard issue arises from the fishing families in my district, who are quite concerned that moving the entire Coast Gua
Third, no matter how the department is constituted, we must maintain the federal partnership with the local first responders. A
Last Monday, I sent the president a letter co-signed by 70 members of Congress from across the country seeking to full enfranch
Our letter to President Bush requested he commit to a fast-track disbursement of funds directly to local communities once the d
In all this talk about reorganization, care must be taken to assure that all affected departments now engaged in aspects of sec
Finally, as with all cabinet agencies, this new department will be expected to empower its workforce, balance its books, and aw
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Tierney. Let me just say that we're going to try to be as lenient as possible with everybody becaus
REP. TOM DAVIS (R-VA) : Mr. Chairman, I think it would be helpful to hold us to three because we have a lot of people and the g
REP. BURTON: Well, I will do that, but I want everybody to know that I love you all -- (laughter) -- but we got to get through
REP. TOM DAVIS: Thank you. I'll try to be brief. First of all, Governor Ridge, thank you for your service. Thank you for being
That being said, we have to remember it's ultimately up to the administration and the executive branch to administer and direct
One other issue is that I think clearly the federal employee issue is an issue that we have to hit head on. The federal employe
But again, thank you for being here. I look forward to working with you.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Davis. Mr. Allen.
REP. THOMAS ALLEN (D-ME): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Governor Ridge, for appearing here and for all your hard work
Homeland security is not a partisan issue. Every member of this committee -- indeed, every member of Congress wants you to succ
I support the creation of a department of homeland security. I do have questions about some of the details, particularly about
First, state and local governments need sufficient resources to plan for and implement the many additional responsibilities thi
Second, I am concerned that some of the institutional and cultural barriers that have prevented the sharing of information hori
I look forward to working with you, Governor Ridge, and the rest of my colleagues on the committee to address these and other c
Thank you, and welcome.
REP. BURTON: Thank you. Dr. Weldon.
REP DAVE WELDON (R-FL): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, this committee must examine very carefully the question of whether the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which issues t
Mr. Chairman, can the issuing of visas be a diplomatic function? It must be a security function, with the proper scrutiny only
Last night, the president spoke to this very issue. He said, and I quote, "There are over 100 different agencies that have some
Mr. Chairman, our security begins abroad. I commend you for calling this hearing. And I'm looking forward to the testimony of G
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Weldon, for sticking so close to the three-minute rule. Mr. Lynch.
REP. STEPHEN LYNCH (D-MA): Good afternoon, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, at the outset I'd like to commend yourself and Mr. Waxman and Mr. Shays for your leadership on this issue. Govern
Today's hearing gives us the first opportunity to review and hopefully strengthen the president's proposal for a new department
So our task today and henceforth is to defend the defenseless, but we must do it in a way that preserves the noble ideals from
I will leave the questions of cooperation and disclosure of the FBI and CIA to others. However, I must say that in earlier disc
I would also like to say that as the congressman responsible for representing the Port of Boston as well, I am unclear at this
But this is the very first step, and I understand there's a lot of work to be done. I want to just pledge to you, Governor, and
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Lynch. Mr. Sullivan.
REP. JOHN SULLIVAN (R-OK): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I'd like to thank Governor Ridge. I know you're busy and I appreciate a
After the events of September 11th, it became clear that the threat of terrorism is a real and permanent problem, and we must f
Several questions need to be asked and answered before we can make the most effective decisions regarding the new agency. For i
I look forward to hearing from you, Governor Ridge, and working with my colleagues to ensure that the new department of homelan
Thank you.
REP. BURTON: Thank you very much. Ms. Schakowsky.
REP. JANICE SCHAKOWSKY (D-IL): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, Governor Ridge. It's a pleasure to be able to talk with you fi
There is unanimous agreement among members of Congress that we must change the way we conduct business -- our business of natio
So, let me raise a couple of the concerns that I have. First, I'm wondering how the administration can be so sure about a plan
The president has suggested that we transfer several existing agencies into one. Among those agencies are those which provide c
The president's plan does not include necessary protections for the right of federal employees to organize, be represented by u
These are just a few of my many questions and concerns, and I look forward, Governor Ridge, of a worthwhile discussion on this
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Ms. Schakowsky.
Mr. Souder.
REP. SOUDER: First, I'd like to thank Chairman Burton for his leadership in making sure that this committee had proper jurisdic
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind my colleagues and Governor Ridge that more than 4,000 Americans die each y
I also want to support my colleague's comments on the Department of Consular Affairs. This is predominantly an agency to addres
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Souder. Mr. Clay?
REP. CLAY: Thank you. And I too would like to welcome the distinguished witness testifying before the committee, Governor Ridge
I am concerned about the lack of information that has not been forthcoming from the administration to restructure the communica
I believe that the intelligence component ultimately will be the cornerstone of the new department. I recently read that the pr
Let's not simply create another bureaucratic quagmire from which little if anything will come. Let's make the proposed Departme
Finally, Congress has a constitutional responsibility to the American people to fulfill its oversight responsibility. I ask tha
REP. BURTON: Without objection, so ordered. Mr. Miller.
REP. MILLER: Governor Ridge -- Mr. Chairman, I will submit a written statement for the record. I congratulate you bringing the
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Miller. Mr. Cummings.
REP. CUMMINGS: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Welcome, Governor Ridge. I along with many others in Congress have advocated
Although the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is needed, I believe a few issues need to be addressed as we revie
Passage of this legislation is attainable. But we will encounter many obstacles along the way. But as we move forward on this m
Lastly, I am concerned about the provisions in the bill that would exempt the new agency from complying with the Freedom of Inf
Creation of a new department will not make us immune from terrorism, but it will point us in the right direction. The American
REP. BURTON: Thanks, Mr. Cummings. Mr. Ose.
REP. OSE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I won't repeat the greetings to Governor Ridge -- he's been greeted 33 times. I won't repeat
REP. BURTON: Hallelujah. Ms. Mink.
REP. MINK: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I too want to join in welcoming Governor Ridge to this very, very important meeting. I don'
The agency that comes to my mind is FEMA. I realize that it is an emergency agency. But from our vantage point out in the const
So I hope that the administration will carefully look at that area and discuss that proposal with us in a much more intense way
Looking at some of these functions that we question as to why they are needed to be transferred, what comes to mind is the over
I think that the Freedom of Information Act currently already sets forth at least a dozen areas for exemption, which the head o
REP. BURTON: Without objection, so ordered. We will go to Mr. Platts next. But, before we do that, let me tell Mr. -- Governor
GOV. RIDGE: (Off mike.)
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Governor Ridge. It's nice to have a previous member here, one of my compatriots. Mr. Platts. And those
REP. PLATTS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll be brief. I just want to first thank you and subcommittee Chairman Shays for your gr
One area that I don't know if you'll touch on today, but if your office could follow up with me on, is in the critical infrastr
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Platts. Ms. Norton, you're next. Do you want to go ahead and do yours? We have time, if you so choo
DEL. NORTON: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, Governor Ridge, I appreciate the enormous challenge that confronts you. You are aske
Let me say to you, governor, how much I appreciate that our own mayor, Mayor Tony Williams, has been asked by the president to
Governor Ridge, I would like to raise two issues briefly, one in the bill and one that I understand is under discussion, both o
Now, the mantra when this issue was raised for the Transportation Security Administration was, Trust us -- we need to build --
REP. BURTON: Well, Ms. Norton, we want to get one more person in. Ms. Morella would like to make her statement. So could you su
DEL. NORTON: If I could just say one thing. Somebody -- some senior administration official was quoted as saying under discussi
REP. BURTON: Okay, okay, okay. Ms. Morella.
REP. MORELLA: This is a good opportunity for me to stick in my statement. Mr. Chairman, the creation of the new Department of H
I don't know yet who is going to head the new department, but I do endorse Governor Ridge for the job. I am sure that the last
But one thing I don't know or understand is why the administration's plan seeks to grant the new secretary so much unprecedente
One of the many lessons of September 11th was the demonstrated strength and resolve and patriotism of our civil service. The gr
Sweeping aside 25 years of civil service law will not enhance the performance of the new agency. It will only exacerbate it. So
REP. BURTON: The gentle lady yields back the balance of her time. I want you to know you have to put on your tennis shoes -- we
(Recess.)
REP. BURTON: The illustrious governor, my old golfing buddy, is back. So we will resume our hearing. Next on the schedule is wh
REP. JIM TURNER (D-TX): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, thank you for your leadership in this very difficult time. I don't k
I know that you share the concern that we all have, and that is, in our haste to reorganize, that we may find that our schedule
But I do believe that this reorganization will set the framework for accomplishing the mission of protecting the homeland, even
I shared with you a thought last week when you spoke to the entire House in our chamber that I want to mention again, because I
I know in your statement that you have shared with us, it says the creation of a Department of Homeland Security will not grow
But the truth is, if we're going to be honest with the American people, we'll have to tell them that we've already incurred a w
And as I shared with you last week, I hope you will urge the managers in all of these departments to come up with some suggesti
We all know that this is going to be a difficult task, but I do think that we ought to use it as a historic opportunity. After
Again, we thank you, and we'll be a partner with you to get it done.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Turner. Our vice chairman, who served as a U.S. attorney and I think spent, what, eight years with
REP. BOB BARR (R-GA): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you very much, Governor, for being with us today.
I was thinking several days ago, when I was down in the district, that prior to September 11th, if somebody had mentioned the t
I think all of us realize that there will be future terrorist attacks attempted against this country. We can't guarantee that t
And I think that the approach that you're taking -- maybe it's not perfect yet, maybe it is; I don't know -- but as we work thr
One realizes, of course, as you do, even though you're not a bureaucrat -- and that's one of your greatest strengths is you're
Well, you have come back to us now after several months of very, very careful study. And what you're proposing, I think, is a v
So this is really the start of a very long process, to be honest, a never-ending process, of trying to make sure that we meet t
So I think that we have before us a very, very solid start, Governor. And whether you're the eventual secretary of Homeland Sec
So I appreciate what you're doing here today. I appreciate what the administration is doing and share, as the chairman says --
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Barr. Ms. Maloney.
REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D-NY): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Governor Ridge, for your service to the nation. We just re
Last night I was told that the White House was evacuated. There was a bomb scare at the Federal Reserve. And Governor Ridge, as
And since you've said that an attack may be at some point inevitable, I think we all need to look and spend a lot of time at th
The problems New York has had with FEMA, with coordinating the response on air quality, the process the New York delegation had
And FEMA may do a very good job in helping recover from a flood, but it has not done all that it could to help New Yorkers reco
So we've been told that this is progress. We've been told that it's good news. And I look forward to hearing from you. I can te
Thank you very much for your efforts, and congratulations. We're glad you're here.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Ms. Maloney. Mr. Gilman.
REP. BENJAMIN GILMAN (R-NY): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Governor, for your patience, for sitting through all of th
As President Bush recently stated, the barbaric events of September 11th represented a pivotal moment in our nation's history.
Accordingly, we're pleased to welcome you, Governor Ridge, to testify before our committee regarding the proposal by the presid
Moreover, it will clarify and centralize the kind of security responsibility that's needed under a Cabinet-level secretary acco
As history has demonstrated, authority with accountability is the best means to more effective government. Accordingly, in the
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Gilman. Ms. Watson.
REP. DIANE WATSON (D-CA): By now, Governor Ridge, I know your eyes have glazed over and your ears are filled to the stoppage po
The first point is the cost of such an agency, and we'd like to know something about that. The second point is a need to do an
And let me give you a for-instance, and that is the Department of Homeland Security, with preventing agricultural terrorism, bu
Good luck. I hope that you continue the kind of patient attitude I have observed. And God bless.
I'd like to submit the record of my statement for the record, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Without objection. Thank you, Ms. Watson. Mr. Putnam.
REP. ADAM PUTNAM (R-FL): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I also appreciate the toughness of the governor's patience and his abilit
Between 1980 and 2000, the FBI recorded 335 incidents or suspected incidents of terrorism, 247 of which were considered domesti
And so this is not just a reaction to September 11th. This has been brewing for some time now. And I appreciate the approach th
And so I make that point only to say that while we're off to a great start, the details matter. And we need to get it right the
So I -- (brief audio break) -- of the congressional leadership and the folks who have been toiling in this vineyard for some ti
I have some concerns about distractions in the Department of Homeland Security on non-homeland security-related issues, but all
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Putnam. Mr. Danny Davis.
REP. DANNY DAVIS (D-IL): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And, first of all, I want to thank you and Ranking Member Waxman fo
I also want to welcome you, Governor, and express appreciation for the enormous task that you have assumed. As the ranking memb
Whistleblower protection, health care, retirement, anti- discrimination rules, the right to join a union, and merit system rule
The act, much like the proposal being considered today, created a homeland security agency. A bipartisan group of members testi
These and all of the other members clearly oppose stripping the new department's employees of the civil service protections the
I thank you for your being here, for your leadership. I thank you, Mr. Chairman, and yield back the balance of my time.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Davis. My very good friend, Mr. LaTourette.
REP. STEVEN LATOURETTE (R-OH): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, welcome. I'm on borrowed time with the chairman here today, s
A couple of things -- one of my other assignments is over on the Transportation Committee and I chair the Subcommittee on Publi
The one thing that I did want to bring up in my short time, however, is an issue that we've seen with the Federal Protective Se
So, I would hope -- and one of the things that excites me very much about the proposal, among other things, is that we treat al
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. LaTourette. Let me just say briefly that that idea that you have is a good one. We ought to pursue
REP. JOHN DUNCAN (R-TN): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I think certainly you've been the most active chairman this committee has
William Schneider (sp), in the June 15th National Journal wrote, quote, "It would simply add another layer of bureaucracy. Will
And the most senior member of this house was quoted in the Congress Daily yesterday as saying, quote, "Reorganization doesn't a
And the New Republic Magazine last week said, "Buried in the final pages of the report itself is language that grudgingly admit
My staff has looked over the creation of every new department for the last 30 years, and every one of those departments, their
In addition, I'm concerned that there seems to be a public relations rush to create this department by September 11th, and I th
I think most people know that I've been a very strong supporter of the president and Governor Ridge, and I hope to be on this,
So, these are concerns of mine -- that I appreciate, Mr. Chairman, you calling this hearing, and I look forward to hearing from
REP. BURTON: You're not going to believe this, Governor Ridge, but it's now time for you. So I'm going to ask Mr. Platts, who i
REP. PLATTS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's certainly a distinct honor to welcome and introduce formally our director of the Off
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Well, I concur. And you're on.
MR. RIDGE: Let me turn on the mike. (Laughter.)
Mr. Chairman, first of all I want to share with some of my former colleagues -- but you are all colleagues in public service --
I also want to assure my colleagues in public service that the differences of opinion have nothing to do about patriotism. We'r
I am here in keeping with the president's very specific directive to me to present his proposal to you. Earlier today, the pres
I have submitted a much lengthier testimony for the record, but I do have a few thoughts that I would like to share with you.
The proposal was a result of a very exhaustive and deliberative planning process, I would say to my colleagues. It actually beg
We looked at reports from the blue ribbon commissions, the Hart- Rudman, obviously, Bremer and the Gilmore Commissions. We took
The creation of this department would transform the current rather confusing patchwork of government activities related to home
Responsibility for homeland security, as has been discussed by some of the members, is currently dispersed among more than 100
The proposal to create a department of homeland security is one more key step in the president's national strategy for homeland
So, the national strategy that will be presented later will form the intellectual underpinning to guide the decision-making of
Now I'd like to turn to a couple of the details of the president's plan, if I might.
Preventing future terrorist attacks is our number one priority. Because terrorism is a global threat, we must have complete con
The new department unifies authority of the Coast Guard, Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service and Border Pat
Preventing terrorists from using our transportation systems to deliver their attacks is closely related to border security. Tha
Although our top priority is preventing future attacks, we cannot assume that we will always succeed. The president believes th
Clearly at the centerpiece of this initiative is the Federal Emergency Management Agency because the department of homeland sec
So there's some core competencies, there's a relationships that pre-exists this new department of homeland security and I think
As the president made clear in his state of the union address, the war against terrorism is also a war against the most deadly
Currently, efforts to counter the threats of these weapons are too few and too fragmented. We must launch a systematic national
And finally, it was alluded to in just about everyone's remarks, and that is the need to improve our ability to gather informat
The individuals who work for the organizations tapped by the president for the department of homeland security are clearly some
The consolidation of the government homeland security efforts can achieve greater efficiencies and we believe free up additiona
Now, even with the new department of homeland security, there remains a very strong need in the White House for an Office of Ho
Finally, my colleagues in public service, during the transition period, the Office of Homeland Security will maintain vigilance
In his June 6th address to the nation, the president asked to join in in establishing a single permanent department with an ove
Ladies and gentlemen, we too have that opportunity to develop -- to provide the leadership and provide the legacy that assures
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Well, thank you, Governor Ridge. And you may rest assured that we will move as expeditiously as possible to get a
Let me start the questioning by -- by mentioning that Dr. Weldon mentioned that there were travel agents in Saudi Arabia who we
Now, the FBI and the CIA has been a real concern of this committee and many of the people on this committee and other members o
MR. RIDGE: First of all, Mr. Chairman, I believe that both Director Tenet and Director Mueller have begun internal reorganizati
But you raised a question that's very much on the minds of, I think, most members of the House and Senate. It seems to be the p
The improvements and the changes that they are seeking to effect within those organizations will add value to the work product
REP. BURTON: Let me just elaborate a little bit on this issue. In the event that there was an imminent attack on the United Sta
MR. RIDGE: Yes.
REP. BURTON: And -- and it concerns me, and it concerns some of my colleagues that if you had the FBI coming here, the CIA comi
MR. RIDGE: Yes, Chairman, I cannot speak to the protocol or procedures followed by previous presidents, but I know this preside
REP. BURTON: Well, that's good to know, because we had some occasions -- some of the briefings we had in the past where we -- m
MR. RIDGE: I think it is a very important question, Mr. Chairman. And I think what is -- again, my frame of reference is Octobe
REP. BURTON: Thank you, sir. Mr. Kucinich.
REP. KUCINICH: I thank the chair. There's a couple things that I think it's important in terms of where we are going with this
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, there's been quite a bit of praise heaped upon the men and women who are involved in homeland security
The only thing I can tell you, congressman, is that every single day hundreds of the men and women that everybody on this commi
REP. KUCINICH: But may I say, governor, with all due respect, I would --
MR. RIDGE: That always makes me nervous, "with all due respect" --
REP. KUCINICH: And it should. And it should, because our way of life on Capitol Hill was changed. Now, I understand --
MR. RIDGE: The way of life of people in communities in New York and New Jersey and --
REP. KUCINICH: Our ways -- but we don't even get mail without it going through irradiation. And it's very serious when people c
MR. RIDGE: Well, as you pointed out, congressman, it's not just the Congress that has endured both the emotional and the physic
Congressman, the only thing I can tell you is that the FBI and the law enforcement community has followed and continues to foll
REP. KUCINICH: Well, I think that I understand the limitations to your testimony. I just want to make one more comment, and tha
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Kucinich. Mr. Shays.
REP. SHAYS: Thank you. I think the answer to the question of why it's a permanent condition is that terrorists have weapons of
But related to his point, Mr. Kucinich's point -- and who has been a very hard-working member of our subcommittee, and a very t
MR. RIDGE: As I mentioned, congressman, there will be no surprises in the national strategy. You see basically the infrastructu
The vulnerability assessment is also an important feature and component of the new agency. We all understand that about 90 perc
REP. SHAYS: The most chilling testimony we had before our subcommittee was the doctor of a noted medical journal who concluded
MR. RIDGE: I think you'd get a much better clarification from the secretary of State on that issue. But it's pretty clear to th
REP. SHAYS: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: Mr. Waxman.
REP. WAXMAN: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. governor Ridge, all of us agree that we need to streamline government and incre
MR. RIDGE: One of the challenges we have, congressman, is to make sure that we organize this in the most effective way possible
REP. WAXMAN: I appreciate what you have to say, but here's my concern. I think the reason that so much bureaucracy must be crea
On October 8th, when President Bush created your position, he issued an executive order, and Section 1 of that order establishe
MR. RIDGE: Well, you also, since you are familiar with the executive order, know that there was no timeframe specifically direc
REP. WAXMAN: Well, isn't this backwards though? I mean, we are going to get the strategy after we reorganize. And it seems to m
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, the question would imply -- although I realize it is not your implication -- that we have just steadfas
REP. WAXMAN: No, I didn't mean that. The Congress is being asked to reorganize without receiving your strategy report.
MR. RIDGE: Right. But in fact the strategy and pieces of the strategy have been emerging -- have been shared with Congress not
Clearly from prevention to reducing vulnerabilities, congressman, we also say that we need to have stronger relationships with
REP. BURTON: Mr. Horn.
REP. HORN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to pursue a little bit the function aspects. I think you have got excellent themes
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, with your support, with congressional support of this legislation, the -- by statute the CIA and the FB
REP. HORN: And I am glad you have the IG in your necessarily special group that really runs the city and in terms of the depart
MR. RIDGE: I want to make one other comment, if I might, congressman. The collection process -- the president feels very strong
REP. HORN: Thank you.
REP. BARR: The gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Tierney, is recognized for five minutes.
REP. TIERNEY: I thank the chair. governor, I want to revisit an issue with you, because I think we may be talking past each oth
I don't think that you probably could have gotten as far as you have gone and made this proposal -- the president making this p
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, again I wanted to distinguish between the overall threat assessment, which I believe we all appreciate
REP. TIERNEY: Well, excuse me for a second, that's very fine, but we can't have everybody taking the worst-case scenario and do
MR. RIDGE: I am going to try to get to that in a minute, because I think you're right. The predicate is that terrorists could u
REP. TIERNEY: But I still think the point here -- we -- all of these other reports have indicated quite clearly that we certain
MR. RIDGE: Well, senator, I don't think that any -- excuse me, I got you promoted -- sorry about that.
REP. TIERNEY: I appreciate the promotion. (Laughter.)
MR. RIDGE: I don't know whether that's an aspiration of yours or not. The Department of Homeland Security is designed to deal w
REP. TIERNEY: I appreciate that. I think by way of -- I know my time is out here. So I just -- the Coast Guard is one good exam
REP. BARR: The time of the gentleman has expired. The gentleman from New York, Mr. Gilman, is recognized for five minutes.
REP. GILMAN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. governor Ridge, at least one half of the foreign terrorist organizations have some links
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, I didn't hear the first part of your question. I apologize.
REP. GILMAN: Sure. About one-half of the foreign terrorist organizations have some links to drug -- elicit drug distribution an
MR. RIDGE: Number one, Congressman, we recognize that this agency has its own source of information gathering, it does its own
REP. GILMAN: Well, that's encouraging. Governor Ridge, the Indian Point nuclear power plant is located in my area. It's along t
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is responsible for determining the physical protection requirements of nuclear power plants,
MR. RIDGE: Interestingly enough, Congressman, you identify a point of vulnerability that has been much on the minds of members
But I think that the confusion that might otherwise arise as to who does what at the time of an incident or prior to an inciden
REP. GILMAN: So then you'll be --
REP. BARR: The --
REP. GILMAN: -- you'll be coordinating that kind of security?
MR. RIDGE: The new -- the new secretary, in the new cabinet position, will have both the responsibility to do, and frankly be i
REP. GILMAN: Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BARR: The time of the gentleman has expired. The gentleman from Maine, Mr. Allen, is recognized for five minutes.
REP. ALLEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Governor Ridge, for spending so much time with us this afternoon. In my ope
And I want to mention one other -- one other thing in that context. The experience over the last few months from people in Main
MR. RIDGE: First of all, the point about a vertical sharing of information I think is critical to our national effort to secure
I noticed that your colleagues, Saxby Chambliss and Jane Harman had an information-sharing initiative that takes the informatio
With regard to FEMA, in my capacity as assistant to the president in homeland security, we've set up fairly routine phone calls
And at the heart of -- one of the reasons that we've put FEMA into -- the president's put FEMA into the new agency is to make i
I will tell you that in the supplemental there's $175 million that the president has requested to give to the states and the lo
So, again, your notion of a one-stop shop is embodied in the president's initiative. Mayors and others would like to go to one
REP. BARR: The time of the gentleman has expired. The gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Schrock, is recognized for five minutes.
REP. SCHROCK: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, as I alluded to earlier, in April I sponsored a seaport security and force pro
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, the -- at the heart of much of what the president seeks to accomplish with his initiative is based upon
And by giving the new cabinet secretary some flexibility with regard to procurement and the transfer of funds, I would suspect
So, I think the new cabinet secretary has got a lot of work to do -- not only to meet congressional mandates, which are longsta
REP. SCHROCK: Well, if this thing is going to work, those barriers simply have to be broken down. And we understand there are l
MR. RIDGE: Well, I'm glad you raised that issue, because there are some -- there are some legal obstacles to that sharing, and
REP. SCHROCK: Sure. Let me go back to port security for a minute. How do you foresee this new agency working with the state age
MR. RIDGE: It's been my experience working with the Coast Guard with regard to issues of port security, that under Admiral Loy
REP. SCHROCK: You're absolutely right, they -- they have been overburdened with what they had to deal with. And I think Admiral
MR. RIDGE: Well, you know -- and I'm glad you raised that, because I visited with the Coast Guard for an afternoon down in New
REP. SCHROCK: Thank you, Governor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BARR: The gentle lady from Illinois, Ms. Schakowsky, is recognized for five minutes.
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission made an offer to provide potassium iodine
MR. RIDGE: I think the decision was made very appropriately by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to work with the states to mak
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: So, do you think it's a good idea for states to, in one way or another, make the potassium iodine available to
MR. RIDGE: Well, there has been so much -- there have been so many public expressions of concern about nuclear facilities, and
REP. SCHAKOWSKY: All right. Let me ask you a question on another subject. Given this new department, will that centralize the s
And I'm wondering if we will have a more orderly procedure and a single spokesperson making those kinds of announcements.
MR. RIDGE: The attorney general will continue to be the administration's spokesperson with regard to his law enforcement respon
REP. BARR: The time of the gentle lady has expired. The gentleman from Florida, Dr. Weldon, is recognized for five minutes.
REP. WELDON: Governor Ridge, I thank you for your endurance. I understand you were over at the Senate all morning, and I realiz
MR. RIDGE: Dr. Weldon, we obviously took a look at that possibility, and felt that the best way to deal with the issue of inver
REP. WELDON: But what if they are not getting the job done, governor? You can't fire them if you are the secretary of Homeland
MR. RIDGE: Well, the language has been structured that the authority -- and it's a controlling authority -- goes from the Depar
REP. WELDON: Well, I respectfully differ with the administration on this position. We are not about the business of protecting
MR. RIDGE: I want to assure you that the primary concern wasn't to protect their career path. The primary concern was, one, div
REP. WELDON: I'm about to run out of time, and there are a lot of other people want to ask questions --
MR. RIDGE: I'd like to continue this discussion with you, because it was something we --
REP. WELDON: I think I'm out of time. So --
MR. RIDGE: Maybe we can do that privately.
REP. WELDON: Yeah, I think we may actually have a subcommittee hearing to get into this issue in a little bit more detail.
MR. RIDGE: Okay.
REP. WELDON: And, again, thank you very much for your input and the work you are doing for the American people.
MR. RIDGE: Thank you.
REP. BARR: Mr. Clay?
REP. CLAY: I thank the chair. Governor Ridge, the central mission of the new Department of Health Security is to protect the Am
MR. RIDGE: That would not fall within the purview of the Department of Homeland Security.
REP. CLAY: That will not come under the purview?
MR. RIDGE: No, sir.
REP. CLAY: So you won't have any recommendations to share with the State Department about that, or --
MR. RIDGE: That is -- that is a unique function of the Department of State. The president's national security advisor is involv
REP. CLAY: And you believe it should not come under your purview --
MR. RIDGE: That's correct, sir.
REP. CLAY: -- of homeland security?
MR. RIDGE: The president believes it ought to stay where it is.
REP. CLAY: Okay, would you -- and would you be able to make recommendations, such as a military action or other action as far a
MR. RIDGE: The only conceivable input -- because I believe the president very appropriately believes that this critical mission
REP. CLAY: All right, I thank you for that. I know you've had a long day -- been here about four hours. But I --
MR. RIDGE: Listen, you have waited a long time to get your five minutes -- you might want to try to use them. (Laughter.)
REP. CLAY: I appreciate you coming. Thank you very much.
REP. BURTON: Your demeanor is amazing after all the saddle sores you must have today. (Laughter.) Mr. Souder.
REP. SOUDER: Thank you very much. Governor, first I want to thank you for your driving effort to consolidate the technology, be
MR. RIDGE: I had a very good experience doing that as governor of Pennsylvania. We spent a lot of time doing it. It took a whil
REP. SOUDER: That's what we have to have if we are going to find the contraband, if we are going to find the terrorists.
I also wanted to make a brief comment before a couple of questions to follow up on Congressman Weldon's point again, that I fou
MR. RIDGE: I didn't hear the last --
REP. TIERNEY: The last part is the joint interagency task forces where we pool the resources have been under the Coast Guard on
MR. RIDGE: Let me see if I can. First of all, I hope you would agree that the fact that the president has vested in the Departm
Secondly, with regard to narcotics and the involvement of the DEA -- I don't know if it was you that said earlier in one of the
The -- finally, the arrangement you talk to the joint task forces that they work on -- that's very much a part of what the Coas
REP. TIERNEY: Okay, thank you very much.
REP. BURTON: Ms. Norton.
DEL. NORTON: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Governor, I think I should congratulate you on setting what must -- on what must be setti
MR. RIDGE: Now, there are records that I used to aspire to as a young person -- I am not sure that was one, but -- (laughter) -
DEL. NORTON: Well, you are a clear marathon man. Governor Ridge, there has been some emphasis put by the Congress and by the pr
We are enslaved by symbols. So September the 11th has been raised. But clearly everybody wants to get it done without delay. We
MR. RIDGE: Well, first of all, you do notice quite a few of the components of that bill in the president's initiative. We do no
DEL. NORTON: Yeah, because that wasn't in it, in effect, at the time.
MR. RIDGE: Correct. And that could be done.
The -- I candidly cannot tell you -- I know FEMA is included in that measure. But whether or not it is the sole -- whether it h
It does not contain the, I think, the weapons of mass destruction countermeasures piece as configured in the president's propos
DEL. NORTON: So it looks like it's a question of add-ons, making sure --
MR. RIDGE: I think it is. And any other -- obviously it does not have some of the management prerogatives that is in the presid
DEL. NORTON: Well, let's move to management prerogatives. (Laughs.)
MR. RIDGE: I always thought if I finally finished remarks with that, you'd probably begin the next question with it. (Light lau
DEL. NORTON: You're about moving people, not boxes.
MR. RIDGE: Right.
DEL. NORTON: I mentioned a number of concerns, but I think chief among those would be the extraordinary flight from the federal
If we were having -- let me put it this way: This committee was so concerned about this, that there were joint meetings and the
So I'm asking you whether you would be willing to work with us to clarify the protections that civil servants will have or whet
MR. RIDGE: Oh, I think we have a government-wide problem, it's not just unique to a potential Department of Homeland Security.
And I would just say that the president's proposal doesn't mandate any change; it is looking for some flexibility, frankly, to
REP. NORTON: Well, Governor, if you don't know --
REP. BURTON: The gentlelady's time has expired. We're well over.
MR. RIDGE: Yeah. So I know it's very important to you, and many of your constituents work for these departments and agencies, a
The first objective in the responsibility of the new secretary is to protect the homeland, to defend America and its citizens.
REP. BURTON: Mr. Barr.
REP. NORTON: Thank you.
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Ms. Norton.
REP. BOB BARR (R-GA): Thank you.
I'd like to, just for a moment, pick up where you just left off, Governor, talking about flexibility and also concomitantly acc
We held a hearing, for example, down in Atlanta about two months ago, and it was precipitated by an undercover GAO investigatio
In not one instance were the stories that they gave checked out. Had they been checked out one time, they would have been prove
The point, I think, that struck Mr. LaTourette, who was at the hearing with me down in Atlanta, was we can spend all the money
One thing I would just urge you to do and your staff to do is look at that report that GAO issued. It just came out just a coup
The other -- the question that I have for you, and again, I would just urge you to look at that because we are going to be doin
MR. RIDGE: Historically, the Center for Disease Control has really been at the heart of the national effort to deal with the pu
So I think it's a piece of dual infrastructure. It's got a traditional mission dealing with public health. Secretary Thompson a
REP. BARR: Thank you. So, it would be -- would it be fair to say that the importance of these issues with which CDC has been de
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, that's a very fair statement. The new Department of Homeland Security in the president's initiative is
REP. BARR: Thank you, Governor.
REP. BURTON: Ms. Maloney.
REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D-NY): Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Governor. In New York, we had trouble with agencies coordinating among
So my question is, what plans do you have to have better coordination between the agencies.
And very related to the experience that we had in New York was the inability of the city to respond to the tremendous need that
And most recently, FEMA will say, "Well, we are really concerned. We really want to reimburse the loss of instructional time fo
They did respond to lost instructional time in other areas of the country, but denied it in New York because it was, quote, "to
MR. RIDGE: My conversations with Director Allbaugh, I believe there's probably not -- aren't too many other people with the exc
REP. MALONEY: Well, FEMA was there, and Director Allbaugh met with us literally the next day.
MR. RIDGE: And -- and you've highlighted a very --
REP. MALONEY: But -- but I guess my question is about the EPA. It took them eight months to determine that they, indeed, had th
MR. RIDGE: Under a new Department of Homeland Security, whose primary mission goes all the way from prevention to response -- a
To the extent that you worry about FEMA -- and I understand very well the limitations, because as governor of Pennsylvania, rec
REP. BURTON: The gentle lady's time has expired.
Ms. Watson?
REP. DIANE WATSON (D-CA): Again, thank you for your endurance.
I am concerned about the transfer of non-security functions. And let me give you an example. Your proposal would transfer anima
There are some programs under FEMA that you transfer and some that you do not. One that comes to mind is the Emergency Food and
So as you transfer these responsibilities under this new agency and as you leave some in place, does the money follow? Do the a
MR. RIDGE: It's a very important question, and you've, I think appropriately, identified the answer.
In fact, when we would take -- when the president's initiative takes full departments -- in this instance, it would be Animal P
The calculation that this agency's budget for the year 2003 is a little in excess of $37 billion is premised on the dollars tha
REP. WATSON: Well, there are still going to be functions left behind that these departments have been taking care of. You're go
I cannot understand at this point how the coordinated effort works. And I see this whole transfer of responsibilities under thi
MR. RIDGE: If you could -- if I might review just a couple of the units that would be in the new Department of Homeland Securit
Presently, there's an Office of Domestic Preparedness in the Department of Justice, there's Health and Human Services grants. S
At some portions of the border the facilities are shared; at some portions of the border the facilities are separate. I remembe
Coordinating information. For the first time, the president, in this initiative, sets up the capacity within a new department t
So I will tell you that at the end of the day, having one agency's primary focus is what I'm sure you consider to be job one ri
REP. WATSON: Now, I thought --
REP. BURTON: The gentlelady's time has expired, I'm sorry.
REP. WATSON: Okay. If you'll indulge me for one half second, I just must say this.
REP. BURTON: (Laughs.) Okay.
REP. WATSON: I thought that was going to be your job and your responsibility. I thought they brought you in to do that. And as
MR. RIDGE: Yeah.
REP. WATSON: If you put it together, I think you ought to do it.
MR. RIDGE: You can effect certain changes if you can coordinate them, and as you can well imagine, you effect certain changes i
REP. BURTON: The gentlelady's time has expired.
Mr. LaTourette.
REP. STEVEN LATOURETTE (R-OH): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Governor, a lot of us in northeastern Ohio thought you would have made a wonderful running mate for the president of the United
MR. RIDGE: You should be.
REP. LATOURETTE: We were more than delighted when you were still available and you could take this job as well.
But following up on Ms. Watson's question, it's my understanding that the president's design not only has your current position
MR. RIDGE: Well, as of this morning, the president has given me a second responsibility, in addition to -- as his assistant for
REP. LATOURETTE: I guess you are.
First responders and FEMA -- very, very important. And I don't remember who was talking to you about potassium iodide tablets -
And maybe by happy coincidence, your colleague from your former state, Curt Weldon and others led the fight to get money into t
When we did the supplemental appropriation, however, here in the House, the $175 million that was supposed to go to FEMA wound
MR. RIDGE: That is clearly the president's intent, and Congress can help ensure that it actually is resolved that way, that FEM
The -- I just want to put a plug in for the president's initiative in the supplemental. That $175 million is to be distributed
You can well imagine, as a former member of this body, I really appreciate that this will be a certain -- this is going to be a
And for that reason, we're hopeful that the $175 million goes to FEMA. Frankly, I think the new secretary, and I think it's pre
REP. LATOURETTE: You've just made my job a whole lot easier when the conference report comes back, because that's exactly what
MR. RIDGE: Good.
REP. LATOURETTE: -- some jurisdictional difficulties got in the way. The last thing on the $3.5 billion, and this goes to nucle
MR. RIDGE: Yes?
REP. LATOURETTE: The -- we've talked a lot about security at nuclear power plants, but the first line of response when there's
MR. RIDGE: I'm down -- Erie, Pennsylvania, is downwind.
REP. LATOURETTE: I know that. And --
MR. RIDGE: Forty miles.
REP. LATOURETTE: We're going to try and keep it right in Perry. The electric utility doesn't get its license unless it has a mu
And I'd just ask you as my final question, has some thought been given to recognizing, one, the 68 nuclear power plants are som
MR. RIDGE: It seems to me, Congressman, that as the -- those communities that have those nuclear facilities, one, should have r
But number two, part of the reason that you develop -- the president would like to see that money be distributed according to a
REP. LATOURETTE: Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
REP. BURTON: The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. Davis.
REP. DANNY DAVIS (D-IL): Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And I guess it looks like I might be the wrap-up person here.
Governor, we've always prided ourselves in this country as being a government of the people, for the people, by the people, but
MR. RIDGE: First of all, I think you've raised a very important question, and it gives me an opportunity to clarify the Freedom
And as I've talked to other members of Congress and we've talked to the private sector -- and some of your colleagues mentioned
So you raise a very important question. I just want to make sure it's understood it's not the complete operation of the agency
We don't want to give the terrorists a road map. We don't want to expose those vulnerabilities to the terrorists. And that's th
REP. D. DAVIS: Well, I certainly am pleased to hear that answer.
I'm also having some difficulty understanding the necessity of establishing a new personnel system, especially since we're goin
MR. RIDGE: Congressman, first of all, the way the legislation is presently drafted, it is not prescriptive. It does not dictate
REP. D. DAVIS: Then I might -- would I be accurate if I suggested that maybe only categories of individuals may fall outside, a
MR. RIDGE: Your -- certainly your concern about diversity is well founded, and obviously there are prescriptive measures with r
I would just say to you, sir, that, again, there's nothing prescriptive in this. And it would be difficult -- I mean, it's pure
REP. D. DAVIS: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I certainly want to thank you, Governor, for your answers and would just end by say
REP. BURTON: Thank you, Mr. Davis. You're not going to believe this, but we're through with questioning, but we have one last c
REP. SHAYS: Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to say to you, as someone who, with others here, have worked on this issue a long time,
REP. BURTON: Well, Governor Ridge, let me -- my old buddy, it's good to see you again.
MR. RIDGE: Well, we did it.
REP. BURTON: You -- I want to thank you so much for staying. You stayed way beyond what you anticipated, and I really appreciat
MR. RIDGE: I'm not surprised. I welcome them.
REP. BURTON: Could we submit them to you, would you answer those for the record?
MR. RIDGE: Please.
REP. BURTON: And with that, thank you very much for your patience, and look forward to seeing you again.
MR. RIDGE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, members of your committee. Thank you all.
REP. BURTON: We stand adjourned.
(Gavel.)
Copyright 2002 The New York Times Company | Permissions | Privacy Policy
|
|
