Kean calls out Dubya

NY Daily ^ | November 29, 2004 | Jane Furse

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

The head of the 9/11 commission says it's time for President Bush to spend some of his much-touted political capital and get his fellow Republicans in Congress to quit dragging their heels on intelligence reform.

The crucial question about the reform bill, said former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean, "is whether it will pass now or after a second attack."

The bill likely would pass if House Speaker Dennis Hastert would allow it to come to a vote when Congress comes back next Monday, Kean said, but first "the President has got to go to work."

The bill is languishing in the House of Representatives because Hastert (R-Ill.) pulled the bill in deference to the two key opponents, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.).

Showing no signs of wavering, the two holdouts defended their opposition to the bill yesterday.

Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told "Fox News Sunday" he is concerned that the intelligence realignment could interfere with the military chain of command - an issue that means "life and death to our people in the field."

Sensenbrenner, head of the House Judiciary Committee, also wants the bill to deal with illegal immigration.

"We have to do something about plugging up our immigration laws," Sensenbrenner said.

But Kean said separate legislation could address those concerns at a later date. "To hold up every single one of these other provisions to make the American people safer for this one provision or two provisions, to me doesn't make any sense," said Kean, also a Republican.

Bush, who previously vowed to use the political capital he received from his reelection, should "do whatever he can to get this bill through," Kean said.

The bill provides for "thousands of new people" to protect the nation's borders, offers better protection against nuclear proliferation and funds improvements to police and fire department communications, Kean said.

"I mean, this is a huge omnibus bill. And if it doesn't succeed, the American people aren't going to be as safe as they would be otherwise," he said.

President Bush has said he's prepared to sign the bill, but it remains unclear what he is prepared to do to push it through.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), a lead negotiator for the bill, said yesterday on ABC's "This Week" that if Bush is sincere about his support, "I cannot believe Republicans in the House are going to stop him from getting it."

Hunter and Sensenbrenner, Lieberman said, "are entitled to their opinions. But they're not entitled to stop this critically important national security measure, which President Bush and a majority of members of both houses want, from getting through, because we need it in the middle of a war."

[meema]

You are right! Take care of the driver's license, etc. NOW, because W will kill any stand alone immigration thingy!

[sarasmom]

I have not read the proposed bill, neither the classified nor the unclassified versions.
I have little faith in anything the 911 commission came up with, especially regarding intel assets and functions.
1.Purge the agencies of political appointees, leakers, and incompetents.These members are known commodities.
2.Ensure effective and flexible crosstalk exists at various intel levels,in by name assignments if needed.Procedures and experience with this is a known capability.Use it.
3.Prosecute security breaches to the fullest extent of the laws which apply to individual members of the various agencies.
An omnibus bill, which I doubt lawmakers have even read or comprehend, is NOT the answer.