Jane Harman: “Mr. Chairman, I rise to address the context in which we consider this amendment. Coming late to this debate, my…”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to address the context in which we consider this amendment. Coming late to this debate, my colleague, the gentleman from California, may not know the issue's history. His amendment is similar to a bill that I and a bipartisan group introduced last October at a time when we believed the administration would not support a large Department of Homeland Security. We felt, and still do, that there needs to be one integrating strategy across the Federal Government. One person needs to be accountable for budget and coordination. One person needs to be a Cabinet-level official confirmed by the Senate. The difference between now and last October is that, under H.R. 5005, that person is the Secretary of Homeland Security, who presides over the critical homeland security functions and a large workforce. Under H.R. 5005, a statutory Homeland Security Council in the White House will coordinate government functions not contained in the new department, just as the National Security Council coordinates defense, foreign policy, and other national security functions.”