President Bushs Proposal To Create A Department Of Homeland Security

Author : Harold C. Relyea
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 49 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (19 download)

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Download or read book Homeland Security written by Harold C. Relyea and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 49 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After substantial congressional entreatment, President George W. Bush gave impetus to the creation of a Department of Homeland Security when, on June 6, 2002, he proposed the establishment of such an entity by the 107th Congress. The President transmitted his department proposal to the House of Representatives on June 18, where it was subsequently introduced by request (H.R. 5005). The House approved the bill in amended form on July 26. The Senate did not begin consideration of the legislation until after an August recess. Senate deliberations on the matter were slower due to partisan and parliamentary factors, as well as a few highly contentious issues, such as civil service protections and collective bargaining rights of the employees of the new department. When both houses of Congress reconvened after the November elections, a new, compromise department bill was introduced in the House (H.R. 5710), which considered and adopted the measure on November 13. Six days later, the Senate approved the original House bill (H.R. 5005), as modified with the language of the compromise legislation (H.R. 5710), which had been offered as an amendment. The House cleared the Senate-passed measure for the President's signature (P.L. 107-296; 116 Stat. 2135). Ultimately, President Bush largely obtained what he wanted in the legislation mandating the department. . Overseeing the implementation of the legislation mandating the new Department of Homeland Security, and possibly refining it and making some technical modifications, was within the purview of the 108th Congress. Some legislators, for example, wanted to eliminate provisions protecting manufacturers from liability lawsuits, broaden the criteria for the creation of university-based centers for homeland security, and make the department subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (H.R. 484, H.R. 1416,S. 6, S. 28, S. 41, S. 45, S. 134, S. 910). The department's charter also contained some contradictory provisions, such as those concerning the appointment of an officer for civil rights and civil liberties. Other implementation issues included Senate confirmation of presidential nominees for department leadership positions, creation of initial budgets for the new department, and assessing the various reports to Congress required of the new department. A few modifications were realized in provisions of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which was enacted into law in December 2004. This report has been updated as events recommended during the 108th Congress. CRS Report RL31148, Homeland Security: The Presidential Coordination Office, assesses the operations and status of the Office of Homeland Security; CRS Report RL31493, Homeland Security: Department Organization and Management--Legislative Phase, assesses the development and enactment of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.