All this was in Thursday, June 6, 2002’s Stack of Stuff Story: Bush Creates Clearinghouse Agency, Tax Hike Could Follow to Fund It. Well, lo and behold we have a June 10th Associated Press story titled, “Lawmakers: New Security Costs Money.” They cite Tom Ridge and senators like Joe Biden talking about the cost. AP quotes North Dakota Democratic Senator Kent Conrad (who only pops up whenever tax increases are in the air) as saying “he also doubts it can be done without higher spending.”
Biden and Conrad say they don’t believe the White House’s statement that the new Homeland Security Department can be built without increasing costs for the American taxpayer. Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card says the president won’t veto legislation setting up the department if it expands government.