Department of Homeland Security Act of 2002 Essay

Department of Homeland Security Act of 2002 - Essay Example This research will try to find out how the DHS was implemented, its strategies and objectives. In its establishment though, the department's mission were added with four more significant missions that are deemed necessary for further strengthening homeland security. The following are the four other primary mission of DHS enacted in 2002: ensure that the functions of entities transferred to the Department that are not related directly to securing the homeland are not diminished or neglected except by a specific explicit Act of Congress In reference to this definition and mission, and with its continuing battle for terrorism, the United States federal government enacted the Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296) which initiated a major reorganization and expansion of the federal government. It is rather recognized as the most monumental event that happened since 1947 with regards to foreign policies. (Inamete, p. 20) Along with its goal of creating an efficient and effective government structure that provides immediate response to the threats of terrorism, new government agencies were created and the old ones strengthened. Extreme efforts have been demanded from the government in order to create this new department. There were 22 federal agencies, meaning, 22 diverse organizational cultures were consolidated within 92 other already-existing federal departments to form the DHS. (Inamete, p. 20) In his Congressional Testimony in July 2002, then Gov. Tom Ridge stated that the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is the result of the most significant transformation of the US government in over a half-century. The creation of DHS would aid in developing a more focused federal agency that would provide efficient solutions to the threat on terrorism. (Ridge, para 5) Before the enactment of P.L. 107-296, homeland security responsibilities were distributed into various government agencies. There is no single department in the US government that addresses solely this major concern of the American society. Therefore, the development of DHS paved the way to a more unified and competent agency that prioritizes this most crucial problem in the society - homeland security. (Ridge, para 7) With DHS'