Cord Byrd: “Mr. President, I have heard the concerns of some of my colleagues about establishing a statutory office within the…”

“Mr. President, I have heard the concerns of some of my colleagues about establishing a statutory office within the Executive Office of the President with a Director confirmed by the Senate. I have heard the arguments that Congress would be intruding upon the President's right to receive confidential advice and it would tie his hands with regard to the internal management of the White House. These arguments misrepresent the realities of coordinating the executive branch and the management challenges it will involve, even after this new Department is up and running. The point has been made many times during the crafting of this legislation that the functions involved in homeland security are scattered throughout the Federal Government. That is an important point. Let me state it again: The point has been made many times during the crafting of this bill that the functions involved in homeland security are scattered throughout the Federal Government. That is not like the State Department. It is certainly not like the Defense Department. We are talking about a Department with functions scattered throughout the Federal Government, the functions involved in homeland security. That does not stop just at the water's edge.”