Posted on 06/19/2002 10:08:56 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON, June 19 — The House began a month of late nights and short weekends today by approving a quickened schedule for creating the proposed Department of Homeland Security.
If the House meets the schedule, which several members called overly ambitious, it would be ready to vote on the White House proposal for the new department before the annual August recess. If the Senate follows a similar timetable, the two houses could resolve any differences after the recess and the department could then be created by Sept. 11, a date sought for its symbolism.
Skepticism was widespread, however, that the proposed departmental shuffling, the largest reorganization of official Washington since the 1940's, could be accomplished so swiftly considering how radically it would upset the careful cultivation of turf in Congress.
"As I compute it, that leaves nine legislative days to consider the consolidation of agencies that have $39 billion in expenses, and 160,000 employees," said Representative Steny H. Hoyer, Democrat of Maryland. "I have great reservations about what I perceive to be a rush to judgment on this issue."
Nonetheless, the House approved the timetable on a voice vote. The resolution established an unusual procedure for creating the department.
Existing committees of the House — many of which control the budgets of agencies like the Coast Guard or the Immigration and Naturalization Service that would be transferred to the new department — will be allowed to weigh in on the plan, but will not have their usual definitive voice.
Instead, their recommendations must be conveyed by July 12 to a special committee of House leaders, established today, that will control the language of the bill. The panel, to be known as the Select Committee on Homeland Security, will consist of five Republicans and four Democrats, and is to present the bill to the full House by July 21.
The eagerness of House leaders to join the committee reflects its importance. Representative Dick Armey, Republican of Texas, the majority leader, will lead the panel. Other Republicans on the committee will be Representatives Tom DeLay of Texas, the majority whip; J. C. Watts of Oklahoma, the party conference chairman; Deborah Pryce of Ohio, the conference vice chairwoman; and Rob Portman of Ohio, chairman of the Republican leadership.
The Democrats will be Representatives Nancy Pelosi of California, the minority whip; Martin Frost of Texas, the party caucus chairman; Robert Menendez of New Jersey, the caucus vice chairman; and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the assistant minority leader.
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