    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [July 10, 2002]
    [Pages 1202-1207]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to Federal Employees on the Proposed Department of Homeland
    Security
    July 10, 2002

        Thank you all very much. Please be seated. Thank you. Thanks for
    that warm welcome. It's such a pleasure to be here today, and I want to
    thank you all for coming. I'm here to thank each one of you for your
    dedication to the country we all love. You worked hard prior to
    September the 11th. You're working really hard now, and the American
    people appreciate it a lot, and so do I.
        You know, the amazing thing about America is, our Nation is stronger
    today than it was before the enemy hit. I like to remind people, they
    must have not understood who they were dealing with. They probably
    thought we might file a lawsuit or two--[laughter]--but they didn't
    understand the character of the American people, the strength and
    resolve of our great land to defend that which we hold dear, which is
    freedom. Nor did they understand the energy and drive of the people who
    work on behalf of the American people to do everything we can--and I say
    ``we''--we can, to protect and guard our people. And that's what's
    happening today in America, and I want to thank you for your dedication.
        And we've got to do more. We've got to move forward. We've got to
    seize the moment to do everything we can to assure the American people
    that our Government and the fine folks who work on behalf of

    [[Page 1203]]

    the taxpayers are working in a smart way, in a dedicated way.
        And today I want to talk some about the creation of the Department
    of Homeland Security and why it's important to our country. And I call
    upon your continued sense of duty to our country as we develop the new
    plans. Oh, it's not going to be easy, and the challenges are going to be
    great. But there's no doubt in my mind that we'll do what's necessary--
    do what's necessary--to protect America.
        I want to thank Chung for her
    introduction. Backstage, we had a picture taken. I said, ``Only in
    America''--only in America do we have somebody as dedicated as--people
    like Chung, who are willing to sacrifice on behalf of the United States
    of America, use their time and talent and energy like everybody in this
    hall to work for others. So, Chung, thanks for your hard work, thanks
    for your dedication to your job, and thanks for representing the good
    folks in this hall.
        When I go back to Crawford, people say--or I see my friends from
    Texas, they say, ``Gosh, it must be hard to be the President.'' I say,
    ``Well, not really, if you've got a good team.'' And I've put together a
    great team. You all are a part of that team.
        Today some of the generals of the team are here, people such as Tom
    Ridge, who is adviser to Homeland Security. He's
    done a great job. He left being the Governor of the great State of
    Pennsylvania to come and serve the Nation, and I want to thank you, Tom,
    for your dedication to the country.
        Some of my Cabinet members are here. The Secretary of State of the
    United States of America, Colin Powell. Our
    great Attorney General, John Ashcroft, is
    here. The Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman,
    is here. Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta; the Energy Secretary, Spence Abraham, is here. Thank you for being here, Spence. Christie
    Todd Whitman, who runs the EPA, is
    with us today. Thank you, Christie Todd.
        The prettiest person in our administration--[laughter]--of FEMA, Joe
    Allbaugh; I want to thank Kay James, who's the Director of Office of Personnel
    Management, for coming. I appreciate you being here, Kay. I know Stephen
    Perry of the GSA is here. I see Brian
    Stafford, who's running the Secret
    Service. I see the head of the Coast Guard. I see Magaw, John Magaw. Thank
    you all for coming. I appreciate you all being here.
        And I want to thank the Members of Congress who are here. I
    appreciate you working with us. I appreciate you're here to celebrate
    the dedication of the fine people that we're fortunate enough to have
    working in our Government.
        You know, the threats we face are real. I mean, it is real. I like
    to remind people that I'm an early morning guy. I get to the Oval Office
    about--oh, generally about 6:50 or so. It's not a very long commute.
    [Laughter] And I sit at the great desk that other Presidents have used--
    Teddy and Frank, and--I can call them that, since--[laughter]. And Spot
    the dog comes in with me, and I read a threat assessment. The fact that
    the enemy is still interested in hurting America, I read that every
    morning. And I take it seriously, and I know you do as well.
        This is a threat that not only affects America; it affects anybody
    who loves freedom, anybody who's willing to stand up and say, ``We value
    freedom. We value the freedom for people to worship the way they want to
    or speak their mind or to print an article the way they want to print
    it.'' And the people who stand up for freedom, they're going to be
    threatened by these killers.
        And it's time for us to continue to act decisively and to be patient
    and to be resolute. It means all the parts of our Government must
    continue to cooperate. And you all have done that, and I want to thank
    you for the level of cooperation that has

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    taken place in a fragmented Government. It's a--and we're making
    progress; we really are.
        First, we're hunting down the killers wherever they try to hide, and
    we're bringing them to justice. Sometimes you'll read about it in your
    newspapers or see it on the--you know, on all these TV shows, and
    sometimes you won't. But what is for certain is, we've got a great
    military who are doing everything they can to hunt the killers down, one
    person at a time, and bring them to justice. And that's exactly what
    this Government will continue to do.
        These are shadowy killers, and we're treating them just as they
    are--as international crooks, international criminals. And they'll--you
    know, these are the kind of folks that will slip into a city and try to
    hide, or they'll go to a cave. And then they'll send some youngster to
    his death, and they, themselves, of course, won't choose that route, for
    some reason. They don't want to show up, because they know, if they show
    up, we'll get them. And it's just a matter of time. It's just a matter
    of time. They made a mistake; they attacked a great nation. And this
    Nation will do whatever it takes to defend freedom and to bring people
    to justice.
        We're making progress overseas; we're making progress at home. We
    strengthened our aviation security, and we're tightening our borders.
    We're stockpiling medicines to defend against bioterrorism. We're
    improving information-sharing amongst our intelligence agencies. We're
    taking new steps to protect critical infrastructure. But the important
    thing for the American people to know is that our public servants are
    working longer hours and working harder and working smarter to defend
    the American people.
        We will win the war on terror--no doubt in my mind--thanks to the
    heroism of our fighting troops and thanks to the patriotism of our
    people and thanks to the hard work of Government officials here at home.
    There have been some extraordinary stories about some in your ranks--
    many in your ranks. And I want to share some of the stories with you so
    the American people fully understand the dedication of the people
    throughout our Government.
        Tom Armas is a special agent in the Secret
    Service. On September the 11th, after helping to evacuate the agency's
    New York field office at Seven World Trade Center, he proceeded into the
    damaged North Tower and up the stairwell to the 40th floor, where he
    worked to help the seriously wounded. After being turned back by raging
    fire, he continued his efforts in the North Tower lobby and then on the
    street. Eventually, Tom was forced to evacuate the area because of thick
    smoke and, of course, falling debris. Yet, even while leaving, he
    continued to help others. In the midst of chaos, he was a calm and
    steady soldier, at one point carrying a woman to the safety of a nearby
    emergency vehicle.
        You see, this is the meaning of public service, as you all have
    shown the American people, a willingness to go the limit, and then some
    more, for the sake of your fellow citizens. Tom,
    thank you very much for your service to the country.
        David Hart has been a FEMA individual
    assistance reservist for many years. He had a variety of
    responsibilities related to September the 11th in New York, including
    making sure that victims received assistance quickly, make sure that
    there was staffing at the assistance centers and that there was proper
    training for people who were willing to help. Throughout this emergency,
    David was responsible for monitoring the individual assistance programs.
    He worked with the contract inspectors and others and was a
    troubleshooter for a wide variety of problems. He performed with great
    skill and boundless determination. He showed compassion to people in
    need. He put the best face on our Government for people who suffered.
    And David, we appreciate your service to America as well.

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        We serve our citizens in all kinds of ways, in different methods.
    Take, for example, the story of Chantice James. It's a really interesting story, because she is one
    of the first U.S. Customs inspectors ever to work abroad for the sole
    purpose of protecting America and other countries from weapons of mass
    destruction--weapons of mass destruction that could be concealed in
    cargo.
        We take these threats very seriously. We worry about weapons of mass
    destruction. And so we've asked Chantice James to leave her family to move to Vancouver, Canada,
    where she's been for the past 5 months. She and her Canadian
    counterparts are reviewing all shipments ultimately destined for the
    United States that comes through that port. She has assisted in training
    additional U.S. Customs inspectors, sharing her skill and talent and
    knowledge, who are now deployed in Halifax and Montreal. She's
    developing techniques that will be used around the world. She's using
    her time and talent and efforts to help us assure the American people
    that we're doing everything we can to protect the homeland, and
    Chantice, thank you for your service as well.
        These are just some of the examples of the extraordinary service
    that's taking place. You probably have got your own stories to tell.
    You've got examples of people, perhaps yourself, who have taken an extra
    step on behalf of the American people, and I want to thank you for that,
    and so do the American people. You see, we're all part of the war on
    terror, and that's what's important to understand, a new kind of war.
        This is an historic campaign. It's a little different, but it does
    point up the fact that public service in America today is not just
    another job. It is an important act of citizenship. It is a way to
    fulfill our obligation to those who have gone before us, to those who
    will follow us, and to those who have sacrificed and died for us. That's
    how I view your job and my job.
        We owe a huge debt of gratitude to those public servants who, I like
    to say, quietly stand guard on the ramparts of freedom. We owe something
    else as well. We owe all of you a concerted effort to do what it takes
    to make your efforts more effective. And that's why I proposed the
    Department of Homeland Security.
        At present, there are over 100 different Federal agencies with a
    role in what we call homeland security. And that means, despite
    everybody's best intentions and hard work and sacrifice, there is a
    dispersal of authority, a lack of accountability, and the truth of the
    matter is, a needless drain on critical resources. There's, to put it
    bluntly, an overlap of administration, a duplication of administration.
        And Congress--and so that's why I did what I did. And I understand
    it's hard to make changes in Washington, DC. I understand that people
    kind of get set in their ways and want to guard turf, and I know that.
    But there is an overriding and urgent mission here in America today, and
    that's to protect our homeland. We have been called into action, and
    we've got to act.
        The Department of Homeland Security will foster a new culture in the
    Nation's Capital, and it will be a culture of cooperation. Sure, there's
    cooperation now. But when you've got 100 agencies dispersed throughout
    Washington, we can do a better job of cooperation. By uniting essential
    agencies that will work closely together, it will give new tools to meet
    new challenges. It will help set priority. Listen, all of you are in
    agencies that have got more than one priority, but the single most
    important priority is to protect the homeland now in America. We're at
    war.
        We're in a different kind of war than we're used to. There'll be
    moments where it seems like we're not at war, but we're at war until we
    win. And therefore, we must do everything we can to funnel resources and
    to set priorities to protect the American people. It is by far our most
    important challenge.

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        The Department of Homeland Security will be charged with four
    primary tasks: to control our borders and prevent terrorists and weapons
    from entering the country--listen, we need to know who's coming in, and
    why they're coming in, and if they're leaving, when they're supposed to
    be leaving. And if they're not leaving, we need to know why they're not
    leaving.
        We need to work with State and local authorities to respond quickly
    and effectively to emergencies, and that's important. All levels of
    government must work together.
        We'll bring our best scientists and develop technologies to detect
    biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, and to develop the drugs and
    treatments necessary to protect our citizens. This is an historic
    opportunity, not only to deal with the immediate but to leave a legacy
    of better medicines and better cures on behalf of the American people.
        And finally, for the first time, this new Department will merge
    under one roof the capability to identify and assess threats to the
    homeland, to map those threats against our vulnerabilities, and to do
    what's necessary to secure America.
        Congress is reacting positively to the initiative, and I want to
    thank the Members of Congress. See, this isn't a Republican idea; this
    isn't a Democrat idea; this is an American idea that makes sense for all
    Americans.
        I understand the challenges that we face. I accept the challenges.
    I'm not going to let it stop us, and neither should you. This is the
    most significant reorganization since 1947--of Government--when
    President Harry Truman decided to reorganize the Defense Department.
        Congress, as they work with us, must give us the flexibility
    necessary to achieve our objectives. I call it freedom to manage. The
    new Department must be able to get the right people in the right place
    at the right time with the right pay. We need to be able to reward
    excellence and ensure accountability for individual performance. A lot
    will be expected of us, and I expect Congress to give the executive
    branch the--give us the flexibility necessary to achieve our objectives.
        I'm here to let you know that there's no question in my mind we can
    achieve what we need to achieve, particularly when we work together. I
    want you to think about the Department of Homeland Security in this
    sense. Twenty years from now, if we're still standing--individually,
    that is--you can look back and say, ``I was part of not only winning the
    war on terror, but I was part of working together to leave behind a
    legacy, a legacy of a more secure homeland so a future President or a
    future Congress or a future agency head can better address the true
    threats of the 21st century that will face our children and our
    children's children.'' That's really what we're talking about today.
        This is an historic moment, a fantastic opportunity. History has
    called us into action. History has put the spotlight on America. History
    has--people are saying, ``What is this country all about?'' Well, I'll
    tell you what we're about. We're going to do what's necessary to say--to
    do our most important job. We are can-do people. We see a problem; this
    is a country that works to solve it. And that's what's going to happen,
    thanks to your hard work and dedication.
        And I'll tell you what else is going to happen. We're going to win
    the war on terror, no matter how long it takes. It is a--first of all,
    we do what we do because there's others coming up in our society. The
    dedication and sacrifice you all make is because you understand that
    you're working for other people, particularly young--youngsters,
    youngsters who want to enjoy the same life we have in America, a life of
    freedom, a life--a chance to realize your dreams. And we're doing what
    we're doing because you all understand that a full life is one that
    serves something greater than yourself. Otherwise, you wouldn't have

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    signed on for Government service in the first place.
        I believe the culture in the country is changing. Oh, I know there's
    a lot of folks that worry only about themselves and their balance sheets
    and how well they're doing. But I do believe that, as a result of the
    evil done to America, a lot of Americans are stepping back and taking a
    hard look at what's important in life.
        They remember the example of Flight 93, average Americans flying
    across the country. They learned their plane would become a weapon. They
    told their loved ones they loved them and goodbye. They said a prayer,
    and they drove the plane in the ground, the ultimate symbol of serving
    something greater than yourself, the ultimate act of sacrifice, to serve
    somebody and something, a cause greater than themselves.
        And that's what we're here talking about today--good, honorable,
    honest Americans working hard to serve something greater than yourself.
    And that something is the greatest country on the face of the Earth.
        Thank you for your sacrifice. God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:28 a.m. at DAR Constitution Hall. In his
    remarks, he referred to Chung K. Marston, research biologist, Centers
    for Disease Control and Prevention.