The events of September 11, 2001, had repercussions far beyond the boundaries of the Twin Towers. The terrorist attack forced U.S. legislators to reconsider the way the country protects itself from outside forces. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 was one way they sought to address the need. The author traces the tortured process of the passage of this act. Though many politicians and governmental agencies tried to protect their own turf during the process, the law was passed, leading to the greatest reorganization of the American government in more than fifty years.