ELECT A BUSH MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE
DEFEAT DASCHLE/CLINTON/GEPHARDT DEMOCRATS!
Posted on 09/25/2002 8:24:45 AM PDT by PhiKapMom
By CURT ANDERSON
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush's spokesman sharply condemned the Senate and vowed a presidential veto as the chamber's Democratic majority claimed enough support to keep labor unions happy and deny him new management authority over the proposed new Department of Homeland Security.
Senate Democrats, joined by moderate Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, appeared to have just enough votes to pass homeland-security legislation without the enhanced hiring and firing powers Bush seeks in the name of protecting the nation from terrorism.
``Make no mistake: if what the Senate (passes) in that narrow vote were to come to the president's desk it will be vetoed,'' White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said.
``The president will be effectively prevented from making decisions based on national security no matter how urgent a crisis we find ourselves in,'' Fleischer said.
As work on Bush's broader proposal for a new Cabinet department ground forward, the Senate voted 90-8 Tuesday to create a 10-member independent commission that would conduct a broad investigation into intelligence failures and other government missteps before the Sept. 11 attacks and recommend how to prevent future disasters.
The Sept. 11 commission idea, championed by many victims' families, gained inexorable momentum when the Bush administration last week dropped its opposition. Although differences must be worked out with a less far-reaching House version and with the White House, it is clear that a commission will be created.
``If we don't come to terms with the whole truth by looking back at what happened, we can never move forward with the knowledge and confidence we need to set things right,'' said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., a chief sponsor along with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
For weeks, Bush has threatened to veto the Democratic bill creating the 170,000-employee Homeland Security Department, arguing it would not permit him to hire, fire and deploy workers quickly to meet terrorist threats or exempt them from union bargaining rights for reasons of national security.
But the president's supporters have been unable to muster enough votes in the closely divided Senate to push his measure over the top despite nearly four weeks of debate. The GOP-led House passed a version closely tracking the president's in July.
Senate Republicans, joined by a single conservative Democrat, are insisting that Bush get a clear-cut vote on the personnel issue. GOP senators and the lone Democrat, Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia, said they will resist efforts by Democratic leaders to force a Senate vote on only the alternative deemed more acceptable to many Democrats and their labor union allies.
``We intend to fight to make sure the president gets an up-or-down vote,'' said Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas.
Chafee and Democratic Sens. John Breaux of Louisiana and Ben Nelson of Nebraska offered a new proposal Tuesday they said could break the impasse.
``This is an important step forward,'' said Chafee, who so far is the only GOP senator to break with Bush publicly on the labor issues.
Their amendment would give Bush much of power he wants to set up a new management system at the agency. But it would also set new conditions on Bush's existing authority to remove some of the new agency's estimated 43,000 union workers from collective bargaining work rules in matters of national security.
These include requirements that the responsibilities of the workers would have materially changed, and that a majority of workers in a given federal entity were engaged in anti-terrorism intelligence or investigative work.
``The president will have to spell it out very, very clearly,'' Breaux said.
One union representing 12,000 workers endorsed the proposal as ``the best compromise'' available to bridge the gap. ``This compromise maintains fundamental protections for employees who will be transferred,'' said Colleen Kelly, president of the National Treasury Employees Union.
Bush continued to object to Senate efforts. ``The Senate feels like they want to micromanage the process,'' he said at a Republican fund-raiser Tuesday night. ``Not all senators, but some senators.
``They will hamstring future administrations as to how best to protect our homeland. And I'm not going to stand for it,'' Bush said.
The Senate-created commission's probe would be much broader than a House version, which was limited mainly to post-Sept. 11 intelligence questions. The Senate panel would have authority to look into the roles of law enforcement, commercial aviation, U.S. diplomacy, border control and immigration, along with intelligence.
An initial report would be due within six months, with a final report within a year, on recommendations to prevent future attacks. The measure authorizes $3 million to cover the commission's costs.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOUR TWO SENATORS IS PROVIDED AT:
Contrary to what you may have heard, Senators do not delete email from their own constituents if you will fill out your contact information so they know you are from their State.
Please call as well!
The DemocRATs are putting unions and their Party and tell them it is time to put AMERICA FIRST!
http://www.gop.com
for newly added features including the DemocRAT Attacks with the "REAL TRUTH" on a variety of issues.
RATS OUT !!
I thought that GIF would come in very handy on here myself! About time RNC let it be known that they do have Opposition Research and take the credit for it!
What we don't see about the imbecile's comment may the most important nonverbal aspect about the liar.
Him standing there making that statement, & visibly, worriedly scanning the Heavens for the nearest cloud from which a bolt of lightning could strike him down.
...a shamelessly bold-faced liar, hypocrite, & very small man, to boot.
I would love to see a Republican ad with Daschle's words superimposed over Gore with the Buddhist monks, and Clinton with the Chinese at the WH.
This is a perfect time to drive a huge wedge between the various factions of the Democrats...particularly the hawks vs. doves.
This is what happens when no one holds the Dems. accountable for their words and deeds. Absolute power corrupts. The mainstream press is failing in their duty to inform the voters.
Thanks for the post, PKM. Will phone Graham and Nelson again today.
Go Rush Go...MUD
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