Secretary of Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security is part of the president's cabinet. It was established in 2002. It has three missions. The first is to prevent and interrupt terrorist attacks. The second is to protect Americans, our democracy, and our key resources. The third is to respond to and recover from any incidents that do occur. This department was set up after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. However, the need for this department was mentioned before the attacks.


Our nation has always had security systems in place. In the past, homeland security procedures were spread across more than forty federal agencies. In February 2001, a proposal was made. It said that it was time to make large changes to our nation's security systems. It suggested that a new agency be established. The new agency would combine and improve many different departments and agencies. The terrorist attacks of September 11th made the process move quickly. President George W. Bush announced the creation of a new office just eleven days after the attack. It was called the Office of Homeland Security. Its headquarters were at .....


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