March 20, 2002

CONTACT: Philippe Reines
phone: 202 226 7286

HARMAN AND GIBBONS CALL ON BUSH
TO STRENGTHEN RIDGE'S OFFICE

- "Whether Tom Ridge comes to testify before Congress voluntarily, or as a result of a subpoena is up to the President. I am far more concerned about what Tom Ridge will say whenever he finally gets here." -

Washinton, D.C. - Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), Ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security, along with Rep. Jim Gibbons (R-NV), a member of the Intelligence Committee, today sent a letter to the President today urging him to strengthen the Office of Homeland Security by enacting their bipartisan bill, H.R. 3026, the Office of Homeland Security Act. The Gibbons-Harman bill creates a Cabinet-level position subject to Senate confirmation. Conferring this status would require Governor Tom Ridge's periodic testimony before Congress - resolving what has become a subject of dispute between the White House and Congress.

"Whether Tom Ridge comes to testify before Congress voluntarily or as a result of a subpoena is up to the President. I am far more concerned about what Tom Ridge will say whenever he finally gets here," said Harman. "After six months, the nation is still waiting for a national homeland security strategy. We're vulnerable to a second wave of attacks, and we need a strategy now. I don't think Tom Ridge has anything to hide, but we need to know where the strategy is."

The Office of Homeland Security Act requires a unified threat assessment, development of a national strategy based on the threats, and gives the Homeland Security Director authority to review, certify or reject the terrorism-related budgets of the nearly 50 federal departments and agencies.

The letter states, "Without Senate confirmation, Cabinet status, and the official budgetary authority needed to direct the activities of other federal departments and agencies, the Office of Homeland Security will continue to founder. The time to assess whether Governor Ridge needs more authority has passed. The complexity of the homeland security effort requires more than a series of ad hoc steps. Missing is a strategy, based on a full assessment of the threats and vulnerabilities to terrorist attack."

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