Bush-Administration hindered creation of Dept. of Homeland Security before 9/11

Gary Hart, the former Colorado senator and two-time democratic presidential candidate was the youngest member of the Church Committee that investigated illegal wiretapping, CIA assassination plots and other abuses of governmental power. He also met with Condoleezza Rice five days before 9/11 and warned her of a terrorist attack.

"... in Spring 2001 we testified before Congress to create a Department of Homeland Security, and the White House shut that down. So it's not only that the White House didn't create a Department of Homeland Security, as we urged, they didn't want Congress to do it either, so they are doubly culpable!

I had seen the National Security Advisor, Dr. Rice, here in New York that spring, and she said, ‘Drop around to the White House and say hello.’ And so, the only -- the first chance I got was early September. And I did come down here from feeling a real sense of urgency, and it was purely intuitive. And I said, “Please get going on Homeland Security.” She said, “I'll talk to the Vice President about it,” and it went nowhere.

from Interview on Democracy Now March 28'th, 2006