Congressman worried about power handoff at DHS.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: SECURITY BEAT: HOMELAND DEFENSE BRIEFS

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* Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, wants to make sure the transition from one administration to another next year goes smoothly for the Department of Homeland Security.

And he sent a long checklist for Secretary Michael Chertoff to look over.

"Planning to implement this critical transition process cannot be handled as if it were a routine exercise," Thompson said in a letter to Chertoff. Thompson reminded him that this will be the department's first handoff.

Chertoff told reporters that he was worried about the same issues, the chairman noted.

A major terrorist incident of catastrophic natural disaster in the early days on a new administration, if it is not prepared, "can put the security of our nation, the well-being of the people...