Military

DATE=6-18-02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=CONGRESS / HOMELAND SECURITY (L)

NUMBER=2-291107

BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE

DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The U-S Congress is reviewing President's Bush's proposal for a cabinet-level Homeland Security agency after receiving the plan from White House officials Tuesday. Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill.

TEXT: The head of the homeland security office, Tom Ridge, delivered Mr. Bush's proposal to a bipartisan group of congressional leaders and urged lawmakers to approve the plan soon.

/// RIDGE ACTUALITY ///

As history has shown, when the Congress of the United States and the President of the United States unite, no challenge is too great, no cause is out of reach, no dream is impossible, whether it is winning a World War, a Cold War, or the war on terrorism.

/// END ACT ///

Lawmakers would like to complete work on the bill and send it to President Bush (so he can sign it into law) by September 11th, the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.

But the speaker of the House, republican Dennis Hastert, said Congress' work on the legislation would not necessarily be dictated by that deadline.

/// HASTERT ACTUALITY ///

We would like to get this thing done as quick as possible, however, we are not going to put haste in the way of doing it right.

/// END ACT ///

The Senate Majority Leader, Democrat Tom Daschle, vowed bipartisanship in working with the White House on establishing the homeland security agency. But he added the new department is only a step toward safeguarding Americans at home.

/// DASCHLE ACTUALITY ///

Once we enact it into law, I think we all need to understand that this is the means to the end, not the end. This provides us the tools to get the job done, it does not do the job. In that regard, we hope we can work closely with the administration to accomplish the end.

/// END ACT ///

In a related matter, the joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee resumed closed door hearings into the September 11th attacks.

Central Intelligence Director George Tenet, Federal Bureau of Investigation Robert Mueller and National Security Agency head Lieutenant-General Michael Hayden were expected to testify about intelligence lapses prior to September 11th. (signed)

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