Posted on 12/07/2004 4:49:31 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
The House voted Tuesday to overhaul a national intelligence network that failed to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks, combining under one official control of 15 spy agencies, intensifying aviation and border security and allowing more wiretaps of suspected terrorists.
"We have come a long way toward taking steps that will ensure that we do not see another September 11th," said House Rules chairman David Dreier, R-Calif. Now "we have in place a structure that will ensure that we have the intelligence capability to deal with conflicts on the ground wherever they exist."
The House voted 336-75 to send the Senate legislation to create a new national intelligence director, establish a counterterrorism center, set priorities for intelligence gathering and tighten U.S. borders. The measure would implement the biggest change to U.S. intelligence gathering and analysis since the creation of the CIA after World War II to deal with the newly emerging Cold War.
The new structure should help the nation's 15 intelligence agencies work together to protect the country from attacks like the ones that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, lawmakers said.
"I have always said that good people need better tools. Here come the tools to help good people succeed," said Rep. Jane Harman of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
The GOP-controlled Senate plans to pass the bill Wednesday and send it to President Bush for his signature.
67 GOP....
That's the best we could do.
PATHETIC.
it did have some good but it was overwhelimingly a bad bill. it does more to tie the hands of this country than it does to free the shackles. the national intelligence "czar" was just a horrible idea all togther. whoever had the bright idea of listening to the 911 comission needs to have their head examined.
I'll get in line wherever I may fall in.
If the National-Socialist ID System sections are in the bill the House passed, it's more like the Nazis or the Communists actually won the Congress.
All this, and we still don't know any more about Sandy Burglar and the stuffing in his drawers.
Like the Patriot Act, everyone demanded it, now the Libs bitch about it. Somebody is bound to have a problem with all this, but we're the ones footing the bill while they re-organize.
Imagine an overhaul at your local BMV and try to imagine the cluster**** going on.
Sure, this will be as effective as Campaign Finance Reform.
2000?
Have you seen the size of the borders along the north and south? Have you seen the legions of illegals crossing in?
Have you not noticed how the Border Patrol is restrained by it's own bureaucracy from doing its job?
Dreier.
Damn it, I'm moving to his district and running against him. I've had it with that bastard.
I like the part about "intensifies border security". I feel much safer now.
Yawn ...
Sometimes the behavior patterns at this online site are eerily similar to those at The Site That Must Not Be Named.
No. John F. Kerry did not win "the election after all."
Thank G-d
Actually, Drier said on the floor of the house today, that the immigration reforms should be in the bill and it will come up first of the year. Then he sounded totally different for the cameras later.
Remember 68% of the house passed and presented their bill with those immigration protections in it. The Senate and White House pressure did it in. Balance of power? The House represents the people and then ....whooooosh!
I simply do not understand how having an intelligence "czar" will do anything more than add another layer of bureaucracy to the monster that is the federal government.
I caught a bit of Harman's speech on the House floor today. She burbled something about how this bill authorizes the use of robotic planes to fly intelligence runs across the vast unwatched stretches of the Canadian border. Nary a mention of the Mexican border.
She also said that althought she didn't think it was necessary to strengthen the chain-of-command language in the bill to protect the war fighter, "we came up with some language, anyway." Well that's sure about as comforting as a bed of nails.
I heard way too many reps standing up (not just dems) and actually ascerting that NOW we don't have to worry about another attack like before. Oh, yeah?
Sheila Jackson Lee was just up flapping her lips about how the terrorist did not come over the Mexico border and they had legal drivers licenses so the immigration complaints are just so much crap.
After seeing Nancy Pelosi's reaction today when Peter Hoeskstra brought up a stand-alone bill next session, you guys better believe there will be fights!!! She acted like a witch about it. Oxen in Fla. know her exact language.
BTW, has anyone heard any dem or rep. mention WHO will be the new NID? This bill may end up toilet paper because I can't imagine anyone they will agree on for that position.
Suggestions anyone?
This is an outrage. There is a modern vulgarity that applies which I shall not invoke; but, which is fitting to the description of what just happened. It's an outrage that these cowards paint this as some great achievement after functionally passing this measure as a bandaid and excuse to run and hide from the public under the pretense that they just did something useful. For years these folks have turned a blind eye to immigration illegalities because it profitted them to do so. Now they imagine themselves as dutiful protectors because they've put off addressing it again so they can escape the hatchet as it were and profit for another quarter while doing nothing. Who the Hell do they think they're fooling! I know what they THINK they're pulling over our eyes. But are they really so ignorant as to think that in the face of rising and evermore heated protest from both sides that anyone is going to stand by and quietly take this bunk? I note that the ivy-leaguers even here have largely shut up and gone into hiding. There is no place to hide.
I heard his comments during the vote on CSPAN. He could not contain his glee over the bill. He says immigration reform will be taken up in the next Congress. PAAAAHHHHLLLEEEEEEZE!
Do you know how many men guard the DMZ in Korea and infiltrators still get through? That border has fences, landmines, cameras and everything else.
That border is 154 miles long.
At least they make an attempt.
The Iron Curtain worked pretty well.
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