Senate Passes Bill Containing Proposals of 9/11 Panel

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/13/AR2007031301550.html

Senate Passes Bill Containing Proposals of 9/11 Panel

By Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 14, 2007; Page A04

The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday to implement many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission, answering its three-year-old call for better emergency communications; more money for cities at high risk of terrorist attacks; and tighter security for air cargo, ports, chemical plants and rail systems.

In a sign of how far the politics of homeland security have shifted since the Democrats seized Congress, senators voted 60 to 38 -- with 10 Republicans and no Democrats crossing ranks -- to force a fresh national security confrontation with President Bush, who has threatened to veto the bill over a provision to expand the labor rights of 45,000 airport screeners.

In January, more than a third of GOP members supported a House version, which Democrats included in their "100 hours" agenda after campaigning successfully on the issue last fall. Differences in the bills, each of which would cost about $20 billion over five years, will be hammered out in conference.

"This bill will make the people of America, in an age of terrorism, safer yet than they have been before," said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) criticized the legislation, saying it would weaken U.S. security overall by "pumping for big labor." By allowing the workers to unionize, Democrats "would make the Department of Homeland Security more like the Department of Motor Vehicles," he said.

The administration focused on the labor provision, noting that it was not recommended by the Sept. 11 panel. White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said that it would endanger American travelers by eliminating the Transportation Security Administration's authority to deploy workers to meet changing threats. The White House has lined up enough Republicans to uphold a Bush veto.

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