[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 38 (Monday, September 23, 2002)]
[Pages 1580-1581]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Following a Visit With Homeland Security Employees and an 
Exchange With Reporters

September 19, 2002

Homeland Security Legislation

    The President. I appreciate Governor Ridge giving me a tour of this 
important facility. It's--we're working hard to make sure that we do 
everything we can to protect our homeland, coordinate among the various 
agencies, until we get a Department of Homeland Security.
    Our House of Representatives has passed a good bill. The Senate is 
struggling with a bill. I urge the Senate to get a bill to my desk 
before they go home, a bill which gives us the flexibility necessary to 
move the right people to the right place in order to better protect the 
homeland, a bill which safeguards prerogatives that former Presidents 
have had in regards to national security matters. We're at a time of 
war, and the Senate shouldn't be making it harder for an administration, 
whether it be this one or future administrations, to do their job. Nor 
should the Senate be trying to strip this administration or future 
administrations from any prerogatives or power that former 
administrations have had.
    We're aware that there is hard work on the Senate floor by Senator 
Gramm of Texas, a Republican, and Senator Miller of Georgia, a Democrat, 
to develop a comprehensive substitute for a piece of legislation which 
we believe is flawed. We hope the Senate would work with Senator Gramm 
and Senator Miller, vote that bill off the Senate floor, so we can get 
it to a conference committee and get the bill to my desk before they go 
home.
    This is a really important piece of legislation. America is still 
threatened. There are enemies out there which still hate us. We must do 
everything we can to secure the homeland today and, at the same time, 
leave a legacy behind so future Presidents and future Members of 
Congress can deal with what will be an ongoing threat to our freedoms 
and to our people.
    But anyway, I appreciate your hospitality, Governor. You've got some 
fine people here working hard on behalf of the American people. It's 
wonderful to see you all again today. Thank you.
    Q. Is one vote enough--is Zell Miller's vote enough on this 
compromise?
    The President. [Inaudible]--I'm not counting votes. I'm just calling 
on the right--calling on the Senate to do the right thing for the 
American people.

[[Page 1581]]

Iraq and the United Nations

    Q. Did you hear the Iraqi Foreign Minster's speech at the U.N., sir? 
What did you think of it?
    The President. I didn't hear it, but let me guess: ``The United 
States is guilty. The world doesn't understand. We don't have any 
weapons of mass destruction.'' It's the same old song and dance that 
we've heard for 11 long years. And the United Nations Security Council 
must show backbone, must step up and hold this regime to account. 
Otherwise, the United States and some of our friends will do so.
    For the sake of peace, for the sake of world security, for the sake 
of a viable United Nations, they must act. And if they don't have it in 
their will to do so, if they're not willing to fashion a resolution 
which is new and different and strong and holds Iraq to account, holds 
them to the agreements they have made, the United States will be willing 
to do so.
    Q. Should the American people prepare themselves for war with Iraq, 
Mr. President?
    The President. The American people must understand the serious 
threat which Iraq places on America. We've learned after September the 
11th that oceans no longer protect us from an enemy. We also know full 
well this is a man who has invaded two countries; this is a man who has 
poisoned his own people; this is man who's poisoned his neighbors; this 
is a man who says that Stalin is his hero; this is a man who hates; this 
is a man who doesn't believe in freedom; this is a man who has weapons 
of mass destruction and says he doesn't. He poses a serious threat to 
the American people. And the first step is to get the United Nations to 
prove to the world whether it's going to be relevant or whether it's 
going to be a League of Nations, irrelevant.

Note: The President spoke at 2:43 p.m. at the Nebraska Avenue Homeland 
Security Complex. In his remarks, he referred to President Saddam 
Hussein of Iraq. A reporter referred to Foreign Minister Naji Sabri 
Ahmad al-Hadithi of Iraq.