U.S. Chamber Hails Passage of Homeland Security Amendment

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Chamber of Commerce today praised House lawmakers for their passage of an amendment offered by Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK) to the Department of Homeland Security Act (H.R. 5005). The amendment will ensure private-sector input in policy formulation of the newly established Department of Homeland Security.

In response to the amendment's passage, U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President Bruce Josten made the following statement:

"The Chamber strongly supports the president's proposal for a single department charged with the protection of our nation from terrorism and other dangers. However, we have also consistently expressed our concern that the legislation does not adequately address the need for the department to include, as part of its basic mission and organizational structure, the protection of our economic security.

"The activities of the new department will properly touch the flow of legitimate travel, immigration, and trade to and within our nation; the protection of our nation's critical infrastructure; and the development of partnerships and technologies to enhance the security of our homeland and borders — all features of the private sector and linchpins of our economy. The president, Governor Ridge, and many members of Congress have acknowledged this need.

"The Watts Amendment will create within the proposed organization an office with responsibility for creating and fostering the necessary relationships with the private sector to enhance the primary mission of the department to protect our homeland, while helping to ensure that commercial affairs and non-security functions of the department are adequately considered in meeting its security mandates.

"This issue is of the utmost concern to the business community and the Chamber. We must ensure that as this vast new department moves forward in the important work of securing our nation, we protect the healthy, functional, growing economy that is the foundation of our standard of living."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation, representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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