|
April 08, 2002
HARMAN STATEMENT ON TOM RIDGE'S SIX MONTHS
AS HOMELAND SECURITY DIRECTOR
-- "Rather than give him a letter grade for his
first six months on the job, I would use the Administration's own color-coding
system and assign the overall Homeland Security effort a red - for severely
behind schedule" --
WASHINGTON D.C. - Rep. Jane Harman today issued the following
statement:
"Today marks six months since Governor Ridge was sworn in as our
nation's first Homeland Security Director, pursuant to President Bush's
Executive Order. While our effort to protect America from another attack
is far larger than any one person, today is nevertheless an important
benchmark in the progress we are making on that front. In that time, the
Office of Homeland Security, has:
· Been involved in the successful security planning of the Super
Bowl and Winter Olympics;
· Developed the color-coded Homeland
Security Advisory System;
· Upgraded the existing public health communications network to
improve outbreak alerts; and
· Worked with Canada and Mexico on combining security and efficient
border passage
As a result of these steps, we are better prepared now to prevent or
react to a terrorist attack than we were on 9/11. But there is much work
left to be done. Homeland Security is not as simple as Red Light, Green
Light. The Office of Homeland Security has yet to complete a national
threat assessment, or develop a national homeland security strategy. At
this rate of progress, it will take years we don't have to reach the level
of preparedness that we need to in order to prevent a second wave of attacks.
Never has someone been given such an immensely difficult job and so little
authority to do it. Tom Ridge
needs to be a Cabinet level official subject to Senate confirmation, with
budgetary authority and accountability to Congress for a homeland security
strategy and budget. Rather than give him a letter grade for his first
six months on the job, I would use the Administration's own color-coding
system and assign the overall Homeland Security effort a red - for severely
behind schedule.
Our strategy for homeland security remains ad hoc, inconsistent and confusing.
This will remain to be the case until Congress passes legislation to give
the Homeland Security Director the power he needs. Good legislative initiatives
are HR
3026, Senator Graham's S.
1449, and Senator Lieberman's National Homeland Security and Combating
Terrorism Act of 2002. The Senate bills may be combined and also be the
subject of a bipartisan companion House bill which I plan to introduce."
###
Home | Lobby
| Congresswoman Harman's Office | Press
| Issues | Casework
| District Office | Library
| Webmaster | Privacy
Policy | Contact
|
