Chertoff replaces former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge as head of the federal department that includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has oversight over many first-responder issues.
"I have learned to appreciate the perspectives of state and local officials because I have shared their vantage point," Chertoff said in his introduction during the nomination hearings. "And just as important, from my vantage point on September 11th and in the weeks and months that followed, along with everyone else in America, I saw the heroism and sacrifice and the commitment of fire fighters, police and other emergency response professionals...I look forward to working with them to make the great promise of this still-new department a reality for them and those they serve," he said.
Chertoff was a key figure following the September 11 attacks, helping to link the attacks to the al Qaeda network. At the time of the attacks, Chertoff was managing the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, an 800-person operation.
