[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13931]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                PREPARING FOR NEW CHALLENGES FOR AMERICA

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, this week legislation creating the new 
Homeland Security Department will come before this Chamber for 
consideration. It will mark perhaps the most historic congressional 
debate in decades. The last time Congress considered such a 
considerable reorganization of the Federal Government was back in 1947 
under the Truman administration. Now we must once again reorganize the 
Federal Government to better meet the new challenges that our country 
faces.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been quite impressed with the commitment of both 
this House and of the administration to move forward expeditiously with 
a plan to create an efficient and effective Department of Homeland 
Security.
  I have been greatly concerned over turf wars between agencies and 
among our congressional committees, yet our committees have worked 
together in a true bipartisan fashion for the people of America.
  I look forward to our debate on the Homeland Security Department, and 
am confident that our work will enable our Nation to be better prepared 
for the new challenges it faces in the 21st century.

                          ____________________