The September 11 attacks of 2001 increased Bush 's desire for a larger allocation of funds for " homeland security " purposes , to protect the U.S. against further terrorist attacks . Bush stated , " The next priority of my budget is to do everything possible to protect our citizens and strengthen our nation against the ongoing threat of another attack . " The four areas of focus in homeland security were bio-terrorism , emergency response , airport and border security , and improved intelligence . Bush believed effective execution of homeland security would make the U.S. a stronger country . The funding went to developing defenses against biochemical weapons , better training for police and emergency personnel , and stronger security at borders and airports . The President wanted to prevent another attack from happening and be more prepared if one occurred . The legislation establishing the Department of Homeland Security was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President in November 2002 . The Homeland Security Act of 2002 brought together 22 separate agencies with the mission to prevent terrorism , reduce vulnerability to terrorism , and minimize the damage of a terrorist attack on the United States
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
2002 State of the Union Address