Department of Homeland Security


Sen. Chuck Grassley today made the following statement about President Bush's proposal to create a new Department of Homeland Security. If approved by Congress, the new agency would be organized with four divisions: Border and Transportation Security; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Countermeasures; and Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.

Here is Sen. Grassley's statement:

"Although we don't have all the specific details about President Bush's proposal to create a Department of Homeland Security, it looks like the agency will take a hodgepodge of government duties and attempt to bring them under the jurisdiction of one department. Since September 11, we've seen the problems with information sharing, coordination and cooperation between agencies, in particular the FBI and CIA. I think the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is a concerted effort by the administration to better coordinate these agencies with a central cabinet position.

I applaud the President for creating this new Department that will stay within the 2003 budget constraints. But, as a fiscal conservative, I want to make sure that not only does it take functions from other departments, but it takes money from other departments. This should not be an excuse for growing government but to get more for the taxpayers' money and making government more efficient and the people safe from terrorism."