Office of Homeland Security
Fact Sheet
DATE ESTABLISHED
September 20, 2001: President Bush announces the establishment
of the Office of Homeland Security, and the appointment of Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Ridge in his Address to a Joint Session of Congress
and the American People.
"Today, dozens of federal departments and agencies, as
well as state and local governments, have responsibilities affecting
homeland security. These efforts must be coordinated at the highest
level. So tonight I announce the creation of a Cabinet-level position
reporting directly to me -- the Office of Homeland Security. And
tonight I also announce a distinguished American to lead this
effort, to strengthen American security: a military veteran, an
effective governor, a true patriot, a trusted friend -- Pennsylvania's
Tom Ridge. (Applause.) He will lead, oversee and coordinate a
comprehensive national strategy to safeguard our country against
terrorism, and respond to any attacks that may come."
October 8, 2001: President Bush issues Executive Order 13228
Establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland
Security Council.
October 8, 2001: Tom Ridge sworn in as the first Director
of the Office of Homeland Security.
March 21, 2002: Executive Order Establishing the President's
Homeland Security Advisory Council and Senior Advisory Committees
for Homeland Security.
AUTHORITY
Executive Order 13228 Establishing the Office of Homeland
Security and the Homeland Security Council enumerates the mission
and functions of the Office of Homeland Security.
A summary of the President's Executive Order.
The President's mission for the Office of Homeland Security
is "to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive
national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats
or attacks."
Section 3 of the President's Executive Order sets out in detail
the functions of the Office of Homeland Security, which shall
be "to coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect,
prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover
from terrorist attacks within the United States."
In performing many of its functions, the Office is required
to work with the Assistant to the President for National Security
Affairs, and with other Federal, State, and local agencies, and
private entities, as appropriate.
Section 3 provides that the Director of the Office of Homeland
Security shall have the power to:
(b) develop and review a National Strategy on terrorism;
(c) coordinate information collection, analysis and sharing
to detect threats of terrorism and activities of terrorists within
the United States, and prioritize requirements for foreign intelligence
collection. The Office shall:
facilitate information collection by State and local government
and private entities; "provide [foreign intelligence] requirements
and priorities to the Director of Central Intelligence and other
agencies"; audit and ensure all executive departments' and
agencies' technological capabilities to collect intelligence;
"coordinate development of monitoring protocols and equipment
for use in detecting the release of biological, chemical, and
radiological hazards"; and ensure dissemination and exchange
of intelligence and law enforcement information among the executive
branch and, where appropriate, promote exchange of such information
with and among state and local governments and private entities.
All executive departments and agencies are required to make
available to OHS "all information relating to terrorist threats
and activities within the United States."
(d) coordinate national efforts to prepare for and mitigate
the consequences of terrorist threats or attacks within the United
States, including:
review all federal emergency response plans relating to terrorism
within the United States; coordinate domestic exercises and simulations
designed to assess and practice systems to respond to terrorism,
and coordinate programs and activities for training federal, state,
and local employees who would be called upon to respond to such
a threat or attack; coordinate national efforts to ensure public
health preparedness for a terrorist attack, including reviewing
vaccination policies and reviewing the adequacy of and, if necessary,
increasing vaccine and pharmaceutical stockpiles and hospital
capacity; coordinate federal assistance to state and local authorities
and NGOs to prepare for and respond to terrorism; implement review
and evaluation programs and standards for national preparedness
programs, including allocation of resources to implement changes
based on such evaluations; and ensure the readiness and coordinated
deployment of federal response teams to respond to terrorist threats
or attacks.
(e) coordinate efforts to prevent terrorist attacks within
the United States, including:
facilitate the exchange of information among INS and customs
agencies; ensure coordination among such agencies to prevent the
entry of terrorists and terrorist materials and supplies into
the United States and facilitate removal of such terrorists from
the United States, when appropriate; coordinate efforts to investigate
terrorist threats and attacks within the United States; coordinate
efforts to improve the security of United States borders, territorial
waters, and airspace in order to prevent acts of terrorism within
the United States.
(f) coordinate efforts to protect the United States and its
critical infrastructure from the consequences of terrorist attacks,
including:
strengthen measures for protecting energy production, transmission,
and distribution services and critical facilities; other utilities;
telecommunications; facilities that produce, use, store, or dispose
of nuclear material; and other critical infrastructure services
and critical facilities within the United States from terrorist
attack; coordinate efforts to protect critical public and privately
owned information systems within the United States from terrorist
attack; develop criteria for reviewing whether appropriate security
measures are in place at major public and privately owned facilities
within the United States; coordinate domestic efforts to ensure
that special events determined by appropriate senior officials
to have national significance are protected from terrorist attack;
coordinate efforts to protect transportation systems within the
United States, including railways, highways, shipping, ports and
waterways, and airports and civilian aircraft, from terrorist
attack; coordinate efforts to protect United States livestock,
agriculture, and systems for the provision of water and food for
human use and consumption from terrorist attack; and coordinate
efforts to prevent unauthorized access to, development of, and
unlawful importation into the United States of, chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear, explosive, or other related materials that
have the potential to be used in terrorist attacks.
(g) coordinate efforts to respond to and promote recovery
from terrorist threats or attacks within the United States, including:
coordinate efforts to ensure rapid restoration of transportation
systems, energy production, transmission, and distribution systems;
telecommunications; other utilities; and other critical infrastructure
facilities after disruption by a terrorist threat or attack; coordinate
efforts to ensure rapid restoration of public and private critical
information systems after disruption by a terrorist threat or
attack; work with the National Economic Council to coordinate
efforts to stabilize United States financial markets after a terrorist
threat or attack and manage the immediate economic and financial
consequences of the incident; coordinate federal plans and programs
to provide medical, financial, and other assistance to victims
of terrorist attacks and their families; and coordinate containment
and removal of any biological, chemical, radiological, explosive,
or other hazardous materials, and coordinate efforts to mitigate
the effects of such an attack.
(h) The Director of the OHS will be the individual primarily
responsible for incident management:
coordinating the domestic response efforts of all departments
and agencies in the event of an imminent terrorist threat and
during and in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack within
the United States; principal point of contact for and to the President
with respect to coordination of such efforts.
(i) The Director of the OHS will review plans and preparations
for ensuring the continuity of the Federal Government in the event
of a terrorist attack that threatens the safety and security of
the United States Government or its leadership.
(j) The Office, subject to the direction of the White House
Office of Communications, shall:
coordinate the strategy of the executive branch for communicating
with the public in the event of a terrorist threat or attack within
the United States; develop programs for educating the public about
the nature of terrorist threats and appropriate precautions and
responses.
(k) Legal analysis and legislative proposals. The Office will:
coordinate a periodic review and assessment of the legal authorities
available to executive departments and agencies to permit them
to perform the functions described in this order; develop proposals
for presidential action and legislative proposals for submission
to the Office of Management and Budget to enhance the ability
of executive departments and agencies to perform those functions.
work with state and local governments to assess the adequacy of
their legal authorities to permit them to detect, prepare for,
prevent, protect against, and recover from terrorist threats and
attacks.
(l) The Director, in conducting a budget review, will:
identify programs that contribute to the Administration's
strategy for homeland security; review and provide advice to the
heads of departments and agencies for such programs; provide advice
to the OMB on the level and use of funding in departments and
agencies for homeland security-related activities; certify to
the OMB the funding levels that the Director believes are necessary
and appropriate for the homeland security-related activities of
the executive branch.
Executive Order Establishing the President's Homeland Security
Advisory Council and Senior Advisory Committees for Homeland Security.
(March 21, 2002)
This most recent order gives Director Ridge the authority
to appoint the Executive Director of the President's Homeland
Security Advisory Council (PHSAC) and the Chair and Vice Chair
for each of the Senior Advisory Committees for Homeland Security
(SACs). Director Ridge is authorized to convene meetings of the
Council and Committee to provide advice to the President through
Director Ridge (Section 2: Functions).
MANAGEMENT
Director of the Office of Homeland Security:
Biography of Governor Tom Ridge, Director of the Office of
Homeland Security.
Other staff:
Deputy Director of the Office of Homeland Security: Admiral
Steve Abbot. Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security:
Mark A. Holman. Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative
Affairs for the Office of Homeland Security: Becky Halkias. Special
Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary for the Office
of Homeland Security: Carl M. Buckholz. Special Assistant to the
President and Public Liaison for the Office of Homeland Security:
Barbara Chaffee. Special Assistant to the President and Director
of Communications for Homeland Security: Susan Neely. Special
Assistant to the President and Adviser for External Affairs on
Homeland Security: Frank Cilluffo. Office of Homeland Security
General Counsel: Ed McNally. Senior Director of Protection and
Prevention: Major General Bruce Lawlor. Senior Director of Response
and Recovery: Michael Byrne. Senior Director of Border Security:
Brian Peterman. Senior Director of Policy and Plans: Richard Falkenrath.
Announcement of appointments and biographical information.
Total Staff:
Approximately 80 staff. The Office was intended to have a
staff of 100.
BUDGET
"Securing the Homeland, Strengthening the Nation,"
by President George W. Bush .
In this publication, the President outlines his vision for
the operation of the Office of Homeland Security in more detail,
including budgetary allocations and spending on specific programs.
Specifically, the report itemizes the spending under the President's
four key budgetary goals that will be administered by the Office
of Homeland Security, namely:
Supporting First Responders Defending Against Bioterrorism
Securing America's Borders Using 21st Century Technology to Secure
the Homeland
Additional Budget Priorities administered under the Office
of Homeland Security include:
Transportation Security Federal Law Enforcement Citizen Corps
Department of Defense and Intelligence Community Protecting our
Critical Infrastructure
Director Ridge's National Strategy for Homeland Security "will
encompass the full range of homeland security activities and will
set priorities among them," thus directing the allocation
of $10.6 billion of the Federal Emergency Response Fund, as well
as billions of dollars at the state and local levels. The FY2003
Federal Budget directs $37.7 billion to homeland security.
The Budget for the Executive Office of the President, for
Physical and IT Security in FY2002 was $2 million, with an additional
$58 million in the 2002 Supplement when the Office of Homeland
Security also came within this budgetary category. The FY2003
request for the Executive Office of the President Physical and
IT Security and the Office of Homeland Security is $48 million.
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