Posted on 06/10/2002 2:34:31 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
Bush Security Plan Has Differences
By CURT ANDERSON
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Much of President Bush's proposal to create a new Homeland Security Department mirrors legislation already moving in Congress, but the White House plan differs in key areas such as intelligence, immigration and the Secret Service.
As they brace for bruising turf battles over the far-reaching plan, lawmakers say discord over these and other points could slow down the legislation Bush wants on his desk by year's end.
A House panel plans a hearing Tuesday as congressional leaders gear up to meet the president's goal. House and Senate members from both parties are to testify about their homeland security legislation.
In advance of that hearing, White House chief of staff Andrew Card privately briefed a bipartisan group of senior House staff members Monday about the Bush plan.
Card admitted to extra short-term costs arising from the transfer of 100 federal entities into a single Cabinet agency but insisted there would be no significant longer-term increases in spending or personnel, according to a participant's notes of the meeting. Card also repeatedly urged lawmakers to move the plan quickly, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Questions are being raised by Republicans and Democrats about Bush's idea to have the new department sift through intelligence gathered by the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency and others. Some critics say intelligence analysis will not improve unless the new department has more direct authority over these agencies.
Seeking to allay these concerns, Director of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said Monday that the new department would provide a critical missing piece by synthesizing all the intelligence, checking it for threats and then acting on those threats.
``Basically, the department will be able to put together all of the pieces of the puzzle, and depending on what the picture shows, take the requisite action,'' Ridge told a National Association of Broadcasters meeting.
Another flash point is Bush's plan to move the Immigration and Naturalization Service to the new agency from the Justice Department. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, said some lawmakers object to combining the agency's duty to process legitimate immigrant visas with the job of border control under the ``homeland security'' title.
``There may be some concern that it could send the wrong message, that it's anti-immigrant or something,'' said Thornberry, co-sponsor of a House homeland security agency bill.
Plans to move the Secret Service out of the Treasury Department present more problems. The agency is best known for protecting the president and other top administration officials, but it also investigates counterfeiting, credit card fraud and Internet fraud.
Other differences between Bush's proposal and bills in the House and Senate:
House and Senate bills would create a White House anti-terrorism office with an overall job of coordinating intelligence, defense and law enforcement for the president. Bush would keep the office occupied by Ridge as it is.
The president envisions an entire division devoted to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear countermeasures with elements drawn from national laboratories, health agencies and others. The congressional measures do not have this division.
Under Bush's proposal, the new department would include the just-created Transportation Security Administration, which handles most air travel security issues.
Despite these and other differences, lawmakers say the existing legislation can be modified quickly to reflect Bush's plan. Thornberry said the House's legislative counsel is helping the White House put its proposal into the detailed legislative language necessary to move forward.
``We're trying to speed things up as much as possible,'' Thornberry said.
House and Senate leaders also are trying to get ahead of expected jurisdiction battles in Congress that could slow down the bill, which touches 88 committees or subcommittees.
GOP House leaders will meet Tuesday to begin considering the options, which include a special select committee that could work out the broad components and then let the existing committees put on the final touches.
In the Democratic-led Senate, the Governmental Affairs and Judiciary committees both have a claim on jurisdiction. Governmental Affairs, chaired by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., has an advantage because it approved his homeland security bill on May 22.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has made no decision on how to continue, a spokeswoman said. Daschle meets Tuesday with Democratic senators to go over the president's proposal.
The House and Senate bills are H.R. 4660 and S. 2452.
On the Net: Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov
``There may be some concern that it could send the wrong message, that it's anti-immigrant or something,'' said Thornberry, co-sponsor of a House homeland security agency bill.
God forbid that protection of our borders should be considered part of Homeland Security. It looks like the Bush Administration is correct on an immigration issue. How did this get past Rove?
Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!
Molon Labe !!
So when they talk about monitoring spending, they only mean it when it applies to defense not the Senate and the House and their expenses.
Actually I hope the DemocRATS throw in all types of roadblocks so we can go into the Fall elections with them doing zero, zip, nada!
Wonder why so many of them wanted to debate on the Activism Thread but are so silent now. Figure they should be hitting this and the other debate thread as the evening goes on with their FACTS as to why this is such a bad idea!
The 'church mouse' would not be startled as best I gather....... He could scurry around without distraction it seems.....
It's known as "job security".
And the more committees and subcommittees, the more congressional committee and subcommittee chairman who can brag about their preeminence to their adoring constituencies.
This is a big part of what's wrong with congress.
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