Editorial: Embracing secrecy is bad start

Friday, June 28, 2002 | 9:27 a.m.

President Bush is doing the right thing by proposing a new Homeland Security Department, but the administration should heed the concerns about accountability that have been raised by members of Congress. This week key members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said they were worried that the new department not only wants to exempt itself from laws that afford public access to information, but that it also doesn't want to abide by laws that guarantee whistleblower protection for federal employees.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was alarmed by the emphasis on secrecy: "The administration is asking us to put this new department above the law and outside the checks and balances these laws are put there to ensure." Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking Republican on the committee, was particularly concerned about the lack of whistleblower safeguards: "Any bill to create a new agency without whistleblower protections is doomed to foster a culture that protects its own reputation rather than the security of the homeland."

It is encouraging that Tom Ridge, the director of homeland security, indicated the administration would work with members of Congress to address their concerns. What we don't need is the attitude that too often has gripped the administration after Sept. 11, where those who have policy disagreements with the White House have their patriotism questioned. The Homeland Security Department naturally isn't expected to reveal secrets that would jeopardize national security. At the same time, however, seeking blanket protection from being held accountable for its actions would undermine public confidence in the department, hardly a good start.