Posted on 11/22/2004 6:45:34 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Defying President Bush, Reps. Duncan Hunter and James Sensenbrenner - who led opposition dooming legislation based on the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations - said they won't change their minds without Senate concessions.
"It'll be tougher now because the well got even more poisoned by the senators and their supporters thoroughly criticizing Duncan Hunter and myself by name on the talking head shows yesterday," Sensenbrenner told The Associated Press on Monday.
The two men turned back a last-second deal Saturday to pass stalled legislation to create a new national intelligence director and national counterterrorism center. The overhaul was supposed to help the intelligence community track terrorist threats and was one of the biggest legislative priorities of this year.
There was nothing left but recriminations on Monday, with most of Congress heading home for Thanksgiving and Bush still on an overseas trip. No meetings of the bill's negotiators have been planned.
The House and Senate scheduled Dec. 6-7 meetings just in case a deal is reached.
Bush personally lobbied House Republicans and told reporters Sunday that "it was clear I wanted the bill passed." But Sensenbrenner, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke against the bill in a House GOP meeting Saturday afternoon, forcing Speaker Dennis Hastert to pull it.
That defiance will have repercussions, John Lehman, a former Navy secretary who worked under President Reagan, told CNN.
"This is the classic confrontation you see in Washington that they can sell tickets for," said Lehman, who also served on the Sept. 11 commission. "Because the president now has been challenged directly by the leadership of the Congress and by the lobbyists and by the bureaucracy. Now he's got to show who's in charge."
Hunter, R-Calif., echoed Pentagon concerns that the realignment of intelligence authority could interfere with the military chain of command and endanger troops in the field. Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., demanded that the bill also deal with anti-terrorism laws and illegal immigration.
Sensenbrenner said at first the Senate had refused to negotiate on his issues until two weeks ago. Then, in direct negotiation by phone with Bush on Air Force One, Sensenbrenner said he gave up on most of his demands - including tightening up driver's license requirements so illegal immigrants can't get them - after Bush called that a "poison pill."
But when informed by Bush's negotiators of Sensenbrenner's concession, Senate negotiators refused to budge on his other issue - reforming asylum laws so terrorists can't use them to enter the country - ensuring his opposition.
"The Senate's going to have to give in on some of this stuff," Sensenbrenner said after meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney.
Hunter said they asked his opinion in the Saturday GOP meeting, so he gave it to them.
"In a military situation, being confused about the chain of command is a dangerous thing," Hunter told The Associated Press Saturday night. "I was asked to give my opinion to the conference and the leadership, and it was having a bill with that part of the bill - the chain of command - pulled out of it would cause confusion and more casualties on the battlefield."
Hunter said he knew the president and Hastert wanted this bill, but "what we have to do here is exercise our best judgment."
"Having a son who just came back from a second tour in Fallujah, those are the folks I care about," Hunter said. "I just gave my best recommendation to the Republican conference."
Sensenbrenner said criticism would just make it harder to negotiate.
"It was tough to begin with. It will be even tougher after the Senate plus (GOP House Intelligence chairman Pete) Hoekstra had a press conference where they badmouthed Duncan Hunter and me, and everybody got on the talking head shows and pilloried Congressman Hunter and me," Sensenbrenner said.
On Hunter's and his issues, "the American people are overwhelmingly on our side," he said.
mark... * ~~
Keep it up, fellas.
I give this guy some props...a congressman with a son in Fallujah...I think we should at least listen to him...
Hang in there S & H! We are with you. (appropriate e-mails sent)
Good for them. Standing by their principles.
Nice to know that some of the Conservative Republicans in the House are willing to stand up to the mushy moderate/Pro-Illegal Immigration administration.
Rumsfeld in agreement with Hunter & Sensenbrenner?
The CIA and maybe NSA need reform (e.g., the official NSA "Gay Month"). But why pollute DIA, NRO and the rest of the Pentagon apparatus with the leftie Clintonistas over at CIA?
http://www.gertzfile.com/gertzfile/ring060603.html
"NSA sex month"
Good!
These Repubs are heroes.
We got the update from www.numbersusa.com. You get updates and can fax letters for FREE to Congress or the White House using canned letters that you can modify too.
Numbersusa.com is growing and hopefully will be as feared as the NRA on Capitol Hill.
Sign up for numbersusa.com or fairus.org.
Both groups are working very hard to protect our borders.
They need us to send those faxes plus make calls to keep the heat on Congress and the White House about our borders.
Tell your friends and families. Numbersusa.com and fairus.org are making a difference along with brave Repubs like Tancredo, Sensenbrenner and Duncan plus Denny Hastert.
Clinton made the CIA and NSa sewers filled with liberals.
Another bureaucracy isn't going to help anybody or anything.
Already get the Numbers USA and FAIR updates. We need to keep up the pressure on these guys and tell them not to give in. Let them know that we are behind them 100%!!
These two are my heroes. I love Bush, but I will be sending an e-mail to let him know that he should listen to them.
Does anyone have their e-mail addresses, so we can let them know we are behind them?
Maybe there is room in the House leadership for these men? These true patriots stood up to the leadership, and kept our Congressional leaders from caving into the Administration.
And, remember that we need these men not only to safeguard our borders, but also to watch out for the interests of our armed forces.
Stand firm! We are with you. E-mail the President, Why would a President not control his borders in time of war???
I have emailed Santorum, My Rep is a DUMMO, he's probably in a meeting with Pelosi again. I wondder why he's spending so much time with Pelosi, must have the HOTS for her!!
Not nearly as many repercussions as will come from giving amnesty to ALL illegals, including the many terrorists in the bunch! What in the world are they thinking about? Bush included! Who made us the world*s keeper? They hate us anyway, so to heck with ALL of them.
I*m sick and tired of our elected officials not listening to our concerns about illegal immigrants. Bottom line: NO AMNESTY! Thank God we have a few in Congress who haven*t completely lost their minds!
A question for everybody:
Is Rumsfeld's job secure? He apparently was supporting Hunter behind the scenes, at least according to MSM accounts. Bush can't fire Hunter, but he can fire Rumsfeld.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.