[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 147 (Thursday, November 14, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2029-E2030]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2002

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 13, 2002

  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill to create a 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). I was one of the first members 
of Congress to call for a Department of Homeland Security and a 
reorganization of the various elements of the government that provide 
our nation's security--from national defense to border defense.
  I support this bill because of the overwhelming need for our nation 
to recognize our challenges in the new defense environment of the 21st 
Century. We were vulnerable to a degree we did not anticipate on 
September 11, and it is incumbent upon Congress and other government 
leaders to stand up to the challenge and find ways to make our country 
safer.
  I wish Congress had seen fit to take more control of the personnel 
decisions to be made in the labor sections of the bill. Whenever we 
vest all authority in one person we weaken our democracy. We are also 
weakening this department from the beginning by asking its employees to 
adhere to rules separate from those rules that govern other government 
employees.
  Despite its shortcomings, however, we are well past the time to re-
focus our energies on a new organization for our government to protect 
our borders and our citizens.
  I thank the leaders of the House and Senate for their hard work on 
this bill. I also thank the Democratic Caucus for recognizing the 
importance of this issues and forming the Democratic Caucus Task Force 
on Homeland Security. This task force paved the way for nearly all the 
good ideas incorporated in this bill.

[[Page E2030]]



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