Homeland Security: Department Organization and Management - Legislative Phase (CRS Report for Congress)
Premium Purchase PDF for $24.95 (45 pages)
add to cart or
subscribe for unlimited access
Pro Premium subscribers have free access to our full library of CRS reports.
Subscribe today, or
request a demo to learn more.
| Release Date |
Revised Feb. 25, 2003 |
| Report Number |
RL31493 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Harold C. Relyea, Government and Finance Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
-
Premium Revised Nov. 19, 2002 (47 pages, $24.95)
add
-
Premium Aug. 7, 2002 (42 pages, $24.95)
add
|
Summary:
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 Congress. At the time, bills to mandate a department were pending in both houses of
Congress. The President's action was viewed as an effort to move beyond the coordination efforts
of the Office of Homeland Security, established by E.O. 13228 of October 8, 2001, to a strong
administrative structure for managing consolidated programs concerned with border security and
effective response to domestic terrorism incidents.
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
the August congressional recess. Senate deliberations on the matter were slower due to partisan and
parliamentary factors as well as a few highly contentious issues, such as the civil service protections
and collective bargaining rights of the employees of the new department. When both houses of
Congress reconvened after the fall 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.
Ultimately, President Bush largely obtained what he wanted in the legislation mandating the
department ( P.L. 107-296 ; 116 Stat. 2135). This report is no longer being updated.
CRS Report RL31751 , Homeland Security: Department Organization and Management
--
Implementation Phase , assesses the implementation of the Department of Homeland Security
provisions of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.
