Ridge tells Gibbons he has enough power

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2001 | 9:44 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., at the urging of Homeland Security director Tom Ridge, is backing off his push to give Ridge more budget authority and to make the position permanent.

Gibbons spoke personally with Ridge after Ridge addressed a group of House Republicans at a meeting Wednesday. Ridge made a case that he sits 18 feet from President Bush and has all the power he needs right now, Gibbons said.

"I'm willing to look at that and say, 'OK, we'll see how long it works,' " Gibbons said today. "But I'm not convinced that this is the all-time solution."

President Bush tapped Ridge to be director of Homeland Security and work directly under him in the White House. Ridge began the job Oct. 8. But Gibbons said that isn't enough.

Only Congress can make the job permanent and give Ridge budget authority over the 18 federal agencies that will spend an estimated $11 billion next year on anti-terrorism programs, Gibbons said. Ridge needs power to approve and possibly deny those expenditures, Gibbons said.

To those ends, Gibbons on Oct. 4 introduced the Office of Homeland Security Act at a press conference outside the Capitol.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., agrees that Ridge should be able to control the budgets of the 18 agencies overseeing anti-terrorism programs. Reid plans to give Ridge six to eight months so that Ridge can give him feedback about the job, Reid spokesman Nathan Naylor said. Reid then plans to introduce legislation that gives Ridge more "budgetary muscle," Naylor said.

Gibbons worries that Ridge could become a "toothless tiger" like drug czars before him as he tries to coordinate an unwieldy collection of federal anti-terrorism strategies.

"We need strong lines of communication to deal with the delicate lines of authority between the agencies," Gibbons said.

Gibbons said he is watching Ridge "daily" and planned to push the legislation again at the first sign that Ridge's position needs strengthening.

"I will set the time, not Gov. Ridge, when we push forward with this legislation," Gibbons said.

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