By Ellen Ratner and Adam Sharon
Stakeout with Secretary Tom Ridge and White House Gaggle with Scott McClellan December 22, 2003 By: Ellen Ratner and Adam Sharon Stakeout with Secretary Tom Ridge Secretary Ridge told reporters today at the White House that a "coordinated decision was made yesterday to heighten the security status." Agencies involved in the decision included the DOD, State Department, Attorney General and FBI. These agencies have sent directives to the federal, state and local governments. We want to assure Americans that the authorities are working 24 hours a day, 7 days a work to protect our freedoms, remarked Ridge. He added that we will not be broadcasting everything we are doing and thanked local communities for their work too. He said that they moved to a heightened threat level because of strategic indicators suggesting new attacks might occur and because of the chatter volume and "level of reporting." When asked what Americans should do about traveling, Ridge replied: "Keep on going." Ridge urged Americans to continue to attend celebrations, but to remain vigilant and allow the security professionals do their work. He said that we are still at war, but warned the public to keep their holiday plans. "We cannot quit being Americans because there is a threat and the terrorists are always looking to the methods that they used before," Ridge concluded.

President's Schedule The President met this morning with Ambassador Bremer and the Secretary of Defense. He also met with the Homeland Security Council. President Bush will then visit Shiloh Baptist Church to meet with the Angel Tree children. He will light the menorah this afternoon, meet with Jewish leaders and host a holiday Hanukah reception. Medicare The Treasury department will be issuing information on the health savings account which will allow 4500 dollars in tax free savings to be made available to all Americans. It is the second installment of benefits made available following the passage of the Medicare bill. "The Treasury Department will issue guidance and as of January 1st people can move forward on this," McClellan said. Asked about prescription drugs, he stated that the FDA cannot secure the safety of imported drugs. Threat Level The Homeland Security Council met yesterday and agreed that the threat level should be elevated. President Bush's personal security protection has been increased. "The federal government is on the job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." McClellan outlined that the best prevention was to take the fight to the enemy, which was being done. McClellan said that Americans should be vigilant, visit the Ready.gov Web site to read security updates, make a plan for emergencies with family members and report suspicious packages to the appropriate authorities. Jewish Leaders' Meeting McClellan said the Jewish leaders and President Bush would discuss a range of issues during the White House meeting and that the Roadmap topic could come up. Israel's Weapons Programs McClellan said the United States is dedicated to Israel's security and will not discuss issues pertaining to their weapons programs. He said that stopping the proliferation of these weapons is a "matter of high priority," but the emphasis remains preventing terrorist and outlaw regimes from gaining access to such weapons.