Bush signs Homeland Security Act, creating the Department of Homeland Security

President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296) into law, creating the largest reorganization of the federal government since 1947. The new Department of Homeland Security merges 22 federal agencies and roughly 180,000 employees into a single cabinet department with a unified mission to protect the country from terrorist attacks. (White House, Nov. 25, 2002)