Posted on 11/20/2004 2:48:10 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
In a defeat for President Bush, rebellious House Republicans on Saturday derailed legislation to overhaul the nation's intelligence agencies along lines recommended by the Sept. 11 commission.
"It's hard to reform. It's hard to make changes," said Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., who sought unsuccessfully to persuade critics among the GOP rank and file to swing behind the measure.
Hastert's decision to send lawmakers home without a vote drew attacks from Democrats, and capped an unpredictable day in which prospects for enactment of the measure seemed to grow, then diminish, almost by the hour. He left open the possibility of summoning lawmakers back in session early next month.
As approved by key negotiators, the White House and the bipartisan the 9-11 commission, the compromise would create a powerful position to oversee the CIA and several other nonmilitary spy agencies. A new national counterterrorism center would coordinate the fight against foreign terrorists.
Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney both contacted congressional negotiators by phone in hopes of nailing down an acceptable compromise that could clear Congress in the final hours of a postelection session.
But Reps. Duncan Hunter and Jim Sensenbrenner, chairmen of the Armed Services and Judiciary committees, raised objections. Officials said Hunter, R-Calif., expressed concerns that provisions of the bill could interfere with the military chain of command and endanger troops in the field. Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., wanted additional provisions dealing with immigration, these officials said.
"I am very disappointed that these objections have been raised at the 11th hour and temporarily derailed this bill," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the primary negotiator on the measure for Senate Republicans.
Collins said it was surprising, given Bush's recent re-election triumph, that Republicans were not willing to approve legislation that he favored and his aides lobbied for throughout the day.
Democrats were biting.
"The commander in chief in the middle of a war says he needs this bill to protect the American people," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., who led Democratic negotiators on the issue.
He said the development was "particularly shocking after the president, the commander in chief, has been re-elected."
"Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and the blame for this failure is theirs alone," added House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
If lawmakers fail to pass legislation this year, they will render moot three months of hearings and negotiations that started with the commission's July release of its report studying the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Lawmakers would have to start from scratch next year - if they even pick up the issue again. With a new Congress taking office in January, unapproved bills expire and new lawmakers and committee leaders would have to consider any new legislation.
Lawmakers originally thought they had a deal Saturday and the commission, a bipartisan group that sharply criticized the performance of intelligence agencies, had endorsed their work.
The deal "contains not only major reforms of the intelligence community, but significant measures to improve aviation and border security, and emergency preparedness and response," the commission's leaders, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, said in a statement.
The agreement had been reached between Collins and Lieberman and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., and Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., early Saturday.
Harman, D-Calif., said the Pentagon has worked to scuttle the bill.
"The forces in favor of the status quo are protecting their turf, whether it is in Congress or in the bureaucracy. And at a time when we are in a war we can't allow turn concerns" to triumph, Collins said.
Sensenbrenner is an absolute hero for derailing this bill, and if you're aconstituent, call and thank him. Without the immigration reform measures, the bill is a fraud, and Sensenbrenner knew that, and didn't budge when Hastert started whining about removing the immigration provisions. Since Hastert is the brilliant mind who brought in Alan Keyes rather than Oberweis, the guy who came in number two in the primary behind Ryan because Oberweis was an immigration reformer should tell you all you need to know about Hastert.
Ping.
Somebody better get the GOP the numbers out of AZ showing legal Hispanic voters rejecting provisions designed to help illegals.
I'll admit I haven't studied this particular bill very closely, but I am leery about anything that came out of the 9/11 Kangaroo Commission. To me, it would seem the two most important things to do would be to tear down the Gorelick wall and clear the Democrat flunkies out of our intelligence agencies. Goss has started doing just that at the CIA, and hopefully Condi can start at State right off the bat.
From article: "But Reps. Duncan Hunter and Jim Sensenbrenner, chairmen of the Armed Services and Judiciary committees, raised objections. Officials said Hunter, R-Calif., expressed concerns that provisions of the bill could interfere with the military chain of command and endanger troops in the field. Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., wanted additional provisions dealing with immigration, these officials said. "
Splendid - We do have Reps. with backbones - what a surprise! Hang in there guys - I have to believe many people trust them and will support them - Way to go!
I forget who said "people are policy", but they are right! I agree with you, Goss and Rice cleaning house will do more to help our intelligence than rearranging the flow chart on different buearacracies at the recommendation of an election year partisan "Get Bush" commission.
Your right.
Here is a snippet from a e-mail I got from FAIR today.
FAIR has learned that last night, almost all of the immigration reform provisions were removed from H.R. 10/ S.2845. As you know, House Conferee Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has been a vocal advocate for including the House identification security provisions in the final bill and has held out against stubborn opposition from Senate conferees. We now know that House Speaker Hastert has given the ok to removing those provisions. A vote on the conference report, without those important immigration reforms, will take place later today. Rep. Sensenbrenner is expected to oppose the watered-down bill - but he needs your help.
Apparently Hasert folded to the White House and Senate. Thank God Sensenbrenner came through.
"Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House, and the blame for this failure is theirs alone," added House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
So Nancy, if ALL the democrats were on board, how did it fail?
After losing the election, the democrats STILL think we
are stupid.
Sad to see Republican House member opposing our President and supporting the terrorists.
Seems so - and it's funny
Those guys that held out - are great. And if they need any more reason to keep up the good work - they should be told:
President Bush got 51% - but - Close to 70% want something done with the illegals. Now - who should these guys listen to? Gosh, I wonder -
Oh, horse pucky!! The lefties wanted this badly, to circumvent the the Presidential powers. If the President really wanted this end run around Constitutional govt., he would have gotten it.
Rejecting that ridiculous commission's recommendations hardly equals support for terrorists. I only wish the Republicans had stuck to their guns like this against the President's prescription drug bill.
All I know is that intelligence failed and US was hit.
If having a 911 commission was just for show than it was a massive waste of money.
Now, if they dont follow thru with the recommendations how can we feel safer?
Frankly I dont understand the opinions stated here as it being a good thing.
Liberals have little to whine about after being granted the opportunity to use Gorelick on their team and without penalty! What a more valid indication of liberal inability to comprehend the general publics disdain for not only being undermined but considered as a sector of voters which must be imposed upon. How dare we to use cognitive reasoning!
As our President said, either you are with us, or against us. Unforturnately, several of are House Members have chosen to be against us.
Yeah, it tells me that Hastert carries GWB's water.
Good. Bush went through the hypocritical pretense that the commission's suggestions were wise, but they were the product of a bunch of clintonoids and RINOs.
We don't need a bigger bureaucracy, we need better people, and we'll get that by shoveling out the clintonoids and carterites. If you have good people they can work together and get good results.
Bush didn't necessarily want this bill. For political reasons he had to pretend he did. Hopefully this will be the end of it.
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