After visiting Iowa last week, President Bush heads back to the Midwest today to drum up support for his planned homeland security department. Bush is visiting a water treatment plant in Kansas City, Missouri, today to talk about the heartland’s vulnerability to terrorists. The President wants to combine several federal offices under one Cabinet-level roof. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the idea has bipartisan support.Bush has asked Congress to act by the end of the year. House democrat leader Dick Gephardt suggests a target date three months from today, September eleventh, the one-year anniversary of last year’s attacks. Grassley says it’ll happen as he says the general approach of the cabinet position will be on the President’s desk by early fall.A House panel today will hear from lawmakers who’ve already introduced similar consolidation plans for homeland security. The existing bills differ from Bush’s in key areas — including intelligence, immigration and the role of the Secret Service.
