President Proposes Department
For Homeland Security
June 14, 2002- Calling it "the most extensive
reorganization of the federal government since the 1940s,"
President Bush June 6 announced
plans to create a permanent Cabinet-level Department of Homeland
Security to consolidate a wide range of domestic security
functions located across a number of federal departments and
agencies.
The President called upon the Congress to create the new
department, which would be organized around four primary missions:
- chemical, biological radiological, and nuclear countermeasures;
- information analysis and infrastructure protection;
- border and transportation security; and
- emergency preparedness and response.
The proposal would consolidate nearly 170,000 federal employees
and $37.5 billion in federal programs within the new department.
This includes $1.993 billion in civilian biodefense research
programs and $2.104 billion in chemical, biological, radiological
and nuclear response assets, including the National Pharmaceutical
Stockpile, administered under the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS). The new department would assume responsibility
for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS),
currently under the Department of Agriculture. The Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would become a central
component of the department, which would administer the grant
programs for firefighters, police, and emergency personnel
currently managed by FEMA, and the departments of Justice
and HHS.
Information:
Dave Moore, Senior Associate Vice President
AAMC Government Relations
dbmoore@aamc.org
(202) 828-0525
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