    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [October 1, 2003]
    [Pages 1219-1222]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Signing the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations
    Act, 2004
    October 1, 2003

        Thank you for the warm welcome. Please be seated, unless you don't
    have a seat. [Laughter] I'm proud to be with the men and women of the
    newest agency of our Government. And today I'm honored to sign the first
    appropriations bill for this Department.
        Many of you have served your country for years, in agencies with
    proud histories and honored traditions. Some of you are new to the
    Federal service. All of us share a great responsibility. Our job is to
    secure the American homeland, to protect the American people. And we're
    meeting that duty together.

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        On September the 11th, 2001, enemies of freedom made our country a
    battleground. Their method is the mass murder of the innocent, and their
    goal is to make all Americans live in fear. Yet our Nation refuses to
    live in fear. And the best way to overcome fear and to frustrate the
    plans of our enemies is to be prepared and resolute at home and to take
    the offensive abroad.
        The danger to America gives all of you an essential role in the war
    on terror. You've done fine work under difficult and urgent
    circumstances, and on behalf of a grateful nation, I thank you all for
    what you do for the security and safety of our fellow citizens.
        I appreciate Tom Ridge agreeing to lead this
    important Department. I'm honored to call him friend, and I'm proud of
    the job he is doing. I appreciate General John Gordon, who is the Homeland Security Adviser in the White House.
    I want to thank the very capable Department of Homeland Security
    leadership who are with us today.
        I'm also honored to share this bill signing with Members of the
    United States Senate and the United States House of Representative who
    did an excellent job of getting this bill through. I appreciate so very
    much the Senator from Mississippi, Thad Cochran, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee
    on Homeland Security. I'm also honored that three Members of the House
    are up here to join in the bill signing ceremony, starting with the
    chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Bill Young of Florida; Hal Rogers
    of Kentucky, the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
    Homeland Security; Congressman Martin Sabo
    from Minnesota, the ranking member of the House Appropriations
    Subcommittee on Homeland Security. I want to thank you all for a job
    well done.
        I'm also so pleased that Members in the Senate and the House of both
    political parties are with us today. The stage wasn't big enough to hold
    you. Thank you for coming. Thanks for your hard work, and thanks for
    working together to do what's right for America.
        This time 2 years ago, America was still in the midst of a national
    emergency. Smoke was rising from Ground Zero; recovery teams were
    carefully sifting through debris; and chaplains were comforting families
    and blessing the dead. Our Nation does not live in the past; yet we do
    not forget the past and the grief of that time. We do not forget the men
    and women and children who were lost that day. We do not forget the
    enemies who rejoiced as America suffered or those who seek to inflict
    more pain and grief on our country.
        September the 11th, America accepted a great mission, and that
    mission continues to this hour. We will do everything in our power to
    prevent another attack on the American people. And wherever America's
    enemies plot and plan, we'll find them, and we will bring them to
    justice.
        The war on terror has set urgent priorities for America abroad. We
    are not waiting while dangers gather. Along with fine allies, we are
    waging a global campaign against terrorist networks, disrupting their
    operations, cutting off their funding, and we are hunting down their
    leaders one by one. We're enforcing a clear doctrine: If you harbor a
    terrorist, if you feed a terrorist, if you support a terrorist, you're
    just as guilty as the terrorists, and you can expect to share their
    fate.
        We're determined to prevent terror networks from gaining weapons of
    mass destruction. We're committed to spreading democracy and tolerance.
    As we hunt down the terrorists, we're committed to spending--spreading
    freedom in all parts of the world, including the Middle East. By
    removing the tyrants in Iraq and Afghanistan who supported terror and by
    ending the hopelessness that feeds terror, we're helping the people of
    that region, and we're strengthening the security of America.
        The war on terror has also set urgent priorities here at home.
    Oceans no longer

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    protect us from danger. And we're taking unprecedented measures to
    prevent terrorist attacks, reduce our vulnerabilities, and to prepare
    for any emergency. That's what you're doing. Each of you plays a vital
    role in this strategy to better secure America. Agencies that once
    worked separately to safeguard our country are now working together in a
    single Department, and that's good for America. You have the authority
    to quickly put the right people in place as we respond to danger. You've
    got good leadership. Every member of this Department has an important
    calling, and you need to know, when you come to work every day, your
    fellow citizens are counting on you.
        Those in Customs and Immigration are performing essential work in
    controlling our borders and, at the same time, in reducing the backlog
    of immigrant applicants as we move toward a standard of 6-month
    processing time for all applications. At the Transportation Security
    Administration and the Coast Guard, you protect the vast road, rail, and
    sea and air networks that are critical to the American economy. DHS
    scientists and engineers work to detect deadly chemical, biological, and
    nuclear weapons. DHS experts help the public and private sectors to
    identify and address vulnerabilities in our power grids, chemical
    plants, communications systems, and transportation networks. At FEMA,
    you joined forces with State and local authorities to respond quickly
    and effectively to any emergency.
        All of you have been given a hard job, and you're rising to the
    challenge. The American people understand the importance of your work,
    and so does the United States Congress. The Homeland Security bill I
    will sign today commits $31 billion to securing our Nation, over $14
    billion more than pre-September 11th levels. The bill increases funding
    for the key responsibilities at the Department of Homeland Security and
    supports important new initiatives across the Department.
        We're providing $5.6 billion over the next decade to fund Project
    BioShield. Under this program, DHS will work with the Department of
    Health and Human Services to accelerate the development and procurement
    of advanced vaccines and treatments to protect Americans against
    biological or chemical or radiological threats.
        We're providing $4 billion in grants for our Nation's first-
    responders. We're focusing $725 million on major urban areas where it is
    most needed. We're also providing $40 million for Citizen Corps Councils
    through which volunteers work with first-responders to prepare their
    communities for emergencies. We're ensuring that America's firefighters
    and police officers and emergency medical personnel have the best
    possible training and equipment and help they need to do their job.
        We're better securing our borders and transportation systems while
    facilitating the flow of legitimate commerce. Our Container Security
    Initiative will allow for the screening of high-risk cargo at the
    world's largest ports and intercept dangerous materials before they
    reach our shores, supporting the efforts to strengthen our air cargo
    security system for passenger aircraft, to expand research on cargo
    screening technologies. We're making sure the Coast Guard has the
    resources to deploy additional maritime safety and security teams and
    patrol boats and sea marshals to protect our ports and waterways.
        More than $900 million in this bill will go to science and
    technology projects, including a major effort to anticipate and counter
    the use of biological weapons. With more than $800 million, we will
    assess the vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructures; we'll take
    action to protect them.
        We're doing a lot here. And we're expecting a lot of you. When the
    terrorist enemies came into our country and took thousands of innocent
    lives, we made a decision in this country: We will not wait for enemies
    to strike again. We'll take action to stop them. We're not going to
    stand

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    by while terrorists and their state sponsors plot, plan, and grow in
    strength. By the actions that we continue to take abroad, we are going
    to remove grave threats to America and the world. History has given us
    that charge, and that is a charge we will keep.
        We have been charged to protect our homeland as well. And that's why
    we're taking actions to strengthen our defenses and to make our Nation
    more secure. This bill is a major step forward in our ongoing effort,
    and I'm pleased to sign into law the Department of Homeland Security
    Appropriations Act of 2004.
        May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:07 p.m. at the Department of Homeland
    Security. H.R. 2555, approved October 1, was assigned Public Law No.
    108-90. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks.