HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
WHAT WILL THE DEPARTMENT DO?
LOOKING AHEAD
RELATED LINKS
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On November 25, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Homeland Security Act of 2002. This act added the Department of Homeland Security to the executive departments that make up the Cabinet in the executive branch of the government. As stated in the Homeland Security Act, the primary mission of the Department of Homeland Security includes preventing terrorist attacks in the United States, making the nation less vulnerable to terrorism at home, and minimizing damage and assisting in recovery from any attacks that may occur. President Bush proposed the creation of this department as part of his administration's response to the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.
The creation of the Department of Homeland Security is the largest and most extensive reorganization of federal agencies since the National Security Act of 1947. Passed under the leadership of President Harry S Truman, the National Security Act placed the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the control of a single executive department, the Department of Defense. The Department of Defense is the present-day successor to two former Cabinet-level agencies: the War Department, created by Congress in 1789, and the Navy Department, created in 1798. The National Security Act also created the Central Intelligence Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Security Council.
The creation of the Department of Homeland Security goes a long way toward ensuring the nation's safety and protecting against future terrorist attacks within the United States. When he signed the act, President Bush said, "In the last 14 months, every level of our government has taken steps to be better prepared against a terrorist attack. … The Homeland Security Act of 2002 takes the next critical steps in defending our country."
Department of Homeland Security
United States House of Representatives