Anti-terror legislation sprints through House

“The president is disappointed in this inaction and hopes that the days of judicial obstructionism are beyond us,” said Dana Perino, deputy White House spokeswoman.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., saw it differently. “Democrats stand ready to work with the administration to confirm judges who are not extremists, either left or right,” he said.

In the House, the anti-terror bill was fraught with political symbolism.

Democrats said it would enact virtually all of the unfulfilled recommendations of the 9/11 commission, and several members of the rank and file remarked that Republicans had failed to do so in five years since planes slammed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and scarred the Pennsylvanian countryside.

Seeking passing grades
“Don’t be fooled by those who say that this bill is moving too quickly,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. “It has been five years since 9/11. It has been three years since the 9/11 commission issued its report.”

“The fact is that the bipartisan 9/11 commission gave the last Congress F’s and D’s in implementing its recommendations,” said Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va. “This Congress is determined to earn its A’s in implementing its recommendations.”

Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., noted disapprovingly that screeners at the Transportation Security Agency would receive collective bargaining rights under the bill.

And Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said the measure “gives false hope to the American people” because technology for scanning all cargo containers is not yet available.

The legislation directs the Homeland Security Department to establish a system for inspecting all cargo carried on passenger aircraft over the next three years. It also requires scanning of all containers bound for the U.S., using the best available technology. Large ports would be given three years to comply, smaller ports five years.

Homeland funding at issue
While much of the debate revolved around the provisions dealing with cargo, the bill also requires the government to take the risk of terrorist attacks into greater account when distributing homeland security grants to the 50 states.

The measure also would centralize the government’s efforts at preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists and would take steps to disrupt the black market for nuclear material.

“We will not be safe here as long as the worst weapons can fall into the worst hands,” said Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

The measure also establishes a new program of grants to make sure local governments can communicate effectively in the event of a crisis.

One of the tragedies of 9/11 was the deaths of New York firefighters who were trapped inside the World Trade Center and could not hear urgent warnings to evacuate that were broadcast on police radios.

A companion measure, to establish a new House subcommittee with jurisdiction over intelligence matters, cleared on a vote of 239-188.

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