House Republicans defy Bush on ports deal

Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio., said allowing the DP World takeover to proceed — and ignoring the public outcry over it — would be irresponsible. “The American people elected us to do something when an issue like this comes up,” she said.

Only Reps. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., and Jim Moran, D-Va., voted against the measure.

“It is premature, we don’t have enough information and ... it may turn out to be unnecessary,” Moran said. Added Kolbe: “I just don’t think this is the right thing to do.”

Twice, anti-war protesters interrupted the committee meeting. They shouted: “this war is illegal,” “stop funding this war,” and “the blood is on your hands.”

The House and Senate developments underscored the extent to which the politically charged issue has come to dominate the agenda in recent days, with Republicans and Democrats competing to demonstrate the strongest anti-terrorism credentials in the run-up to midterm elections.

Frist warns White House
Republicans worked to prevent a vote in the Senate as an aide to Majority Leader Bill Frist said the Tennessean warned Treasury Secretary John Snow “the president’s position will be overrun by Congress” if the administration fails to aggressively and clearly communicate with lawmakers during a 45-day review of security implications.

The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was private among Snow, Frist and several GOP committee chairmen. The Treasury Department oversees the multi-agency committee that initially approved the DP World takeover.

Republicans said it was possible senators would pass a simple symbolic statement in coming weeks that would put the Senate’s view of the takeover on record without interfering with it.

But by mid-afternoon Wednesday, with the Senate debating legislation to respond to a corruption scandal involving lobbyists, Democrats signaled they wouldn’t be satisfied with a weak provision.

Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada told reporters he was prepared to let the lobbying reform bill languish if necessary.

Powerful political component
Senate Republicans accused Schumer of subterfuge in the way he sought to inject the issue into the debate, pointing to a letter earlier this month in which he and other Democrats said they would refrain from seeking immediate legislation.

Schumer and fellow Democrats brushed that aside, with Reid calling the maneuver “absolutely valid.”

The political context was unmistakable. Democrats circulated a pollster’s memo claiming that recent events had “dramatically reduced” the GOP advantage on national security.

Some GOP senators accused the House of acting prematurely because of the heat Republicans were taking from their constituents.

“To kill the deal without a comprehensive solution to port security is just living for the political moment,” said Lindsey Graham, R-S.C

House Dems fail to force debate
On the House floor, Democrats failed for the second time in a week to force a debate and vote on separate legislation to block DP World’s entry into U.S. port operations.

In the committee, Republicans defeated a broader Democratic amendment that would have changed the process the United States uses to approve such foreign investments.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been assailing the Bush administration for approving DP World’s purchase Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation, a British company that holds leases at several U.S. ports.

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