Kerry's position on Homeland Security

Homeland Security: On November 25, 2002, President George W. Bush signed a bill into law that created the Department of Homeland Security and appointed Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania the Secretary of Homeland Security.

JOHN KERRY

Description of Candidate's Position: Kerry's plan for addressing national security includes addressing five prominent topics under the homeland security banner. They include tracking and stopping terrorists, hardening vulnerable targets, protecting our borders and shores, improving domestic readiness and guarding liberty. He is also against the PATRIOT Act, suggesting that the act should be allowed to expire without congressional approval. Kerry also is in favor of speeding up the process of immigration, saying it is unfair to keep families apart, but also suggesting that our borders should be policed thoroughly.

Quotation from the Candidate: "Yes, we've created a massive new federal agency, and it's a positive step that I supported. But at this point the new Department of Homeland Security is more of a political achievement for the administration than a substantive achievement for America's security. A new agency and new office space won't help us infiltrate terrorist organizations operating right now in our country. It won't stop terrorists or their weapons from getting through the holes in our borders or our ports. It won't provide equipment and training for police to protect bridges and tunnels, or cause companies to protect vulnerable chemical plants. It won't help police officers, firemen, and EMT's on the front lines to coordinate their response in the event of an attack. In short, the homeland security bill is a perfect example of how long it takes Washington to come up with an answer that won't even solve the problem." &endash;John Edwards, Vice Presidential candidate.

Assessment of the Proposal:

Positive: Kerry's proposal includes the establishment of a "true Director of National Intelligence that will coordinate the nation's intelligence efforts while establishing a separate service within the FBI dedicated to intelligence work." According to "Our Plan for America", Kerry also says that the national guard plays a vital role in homeland security, suggesting that "we will make homeland security one of their primary missions, and assign Guard units to a standing national task force on homeland security commanded by a National Guard general."

Negative: According to Veronique de Rugy, a research scholar from the American Enterprise Institute, Kerry has been critical of the President for not spending enough money on homeland security. Yet, according to her figures, the 2005 fiscal year budget has set aside $47 billion for homeland security, an increase of 180 percent from 2001.

Comparison: The President has consolidated a number of agencies responsible for matters of security and established one department within the Cabinet to oversee all domestic threats to national security . Bush also is in support of the PATRIOT Act, which aims to fund counterterrorism programs as well as aid the families of those who have been impacted by terrorism. The President is also in support of the labeling of U.S. citizens as enemy combatants while increasing the budge to enforce immigration laws.

Link to Bush's Homeland Security Brief