Louise Slaughter: How the Democrats are working to protect your national security.
While all the Republicans can do is yell, complain, and bang their heads against the wall, the Democrats are putting forth concrete proposals to protect our national security. Yet none of these bills have recieved the light of day. It is clear from this that the GOP is not interested in our national security. They are using our military as a crutch and a substitute for doing anything meaningful to reform our national security so that the terrorists will never strike again.
Democrats believe in securing our borders in the first place so that the terrorists never strike here in the first place. That is why John Kerry brought down the Bank of Commerce and Credit International and delayed the rise of Bin Laden for several years. That is why Clinton identified Bin Laden as an enemy early and actively lobbied for a plan to stop him. On the other hand, the Republicans were in power by the time Bin Laden's plan to bomb the Twin Towers was coming to a head. We had a ton of warning signs that could have been used to identify and stop that plan, but Bush was off in Crawford vacationing in Texas while it was happening. After all, he had a life to live.
And the Republicans still haven't learned their lesson. This year, they have denied a whole host of Democratic bills that could have secured our borders and prevent a future 9/11 and subsequent quagmire:
Democratic Amendments Based on 9/11 Commission Recommendations that Republicans Voted to Ban from the House floor:
Rule for H.R. 418, REAL ID Act of 2005-February 9, 2005:
Ruppersberger - support and enact section 5202 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 calling for the addition of 2000 new border patrol personnel each year for the next five years and includes proposed budget funding for 2010.
Rule for H. R. 2360-Department of Homeland Security Appropriations May 16, 2005:
Obey - funds the additional border agents, immigration investigators, and detention beds Congress and the President called for in last year's 9/11 bill. It also provides states $100 million to implement the federal mandates in the REAL ID bill. The Obey amendment offsets these expenditures by capping the tax cut people making over $1 million this year will receive at $138,176.
Rule for H. R. 1815, the National Defense Authorization Act-May 24, 2005:
Spratt - Adds $80 million to Odd and DoE nonproliferation programs to secure and dispose of vulnerable nuclear material. Offset by modest decreases to future silo construction of ground-based missile defense over and above missiles already scheduled for deployment.
Tauscher - Creates an Office for Combating the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction at the White House to better coordinate and budget for nonproliferation efforts resident in multiple agencies.
Woolsey - Requires the Secretary of Defense to replicate with Libya and Pakistan the Cooperative Threat Reduction program in which the U.S. works with the Russian Federation and states of the former Soviet Union to dismantle nuclear warheads, reduce nuclear stockpiles, and secure nuclear weapons and materials.
Rule for H.R. 2601 - Foreign Relations Authorization Act FY06-07-July 18, 2005:
Markey -prohibits nuclear cooperation with or exports or transfers of controlled nuclear goods with any state that is not a member of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and which has exploded a nuclear device, or with any state sponsor of terrorism.
Other Democratic Amendments to increase Homeland Security that Republicans voted to ban from the House Floor:
Rule for H..R. 1279, Gang Deterrence and Community Protection Act of 2005-May 10, 2005:
Jackson Lee- makes it illegal to transfer a firearm to any individual that the federal government has designated as a suspected or known gang member or terrorist.
Crowley- prohibits those on the Violent Gang and Terrorist Organizations File from purchasing firearms, ammunition, and explosives by means other than in person and to require records to be kept of the means by which the purchases are made
Rule for H.R. 1817-Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2006 - May 17, 2005:
Barrow and Markey - directing DHS to upgrade the security associated with transporting extremely hazardous materials;
Oberstar - authorizing funds to develop and implement a railroad security assessment, a railroad security plan, and prioritized recommendations for improving railroad security.
Markey - Requires the Secretary of DHS to establish, not later than 3 years after enactment of the bill, a system to physically inspect 100% of the cargo carried on passenger planes. The system shall, at a minimum, require that the equipment, technology, and personnel used to inspect the cargo meet the same standards established to inspect passenger baggage: 35% of cargo on passenger aircraft must be inspected by the end of FY 2006; 65% by FY 2007; and 100% by FY 2008.
Markey - Requires DHS to establish regulations to upgrade security of chemical facilities at which a worst-case terrorist attack or accident could harm more than 15,000 people. Includes whistleblower protections for those who are retaliated against for disclosing chemical security flaws.
Markey - Provides whistleblower protections for any government, contractor, or private sector employee who is retaliated against for disclosing national or homeland security flaws to Congress, the Federal government, or their employer.
So, the Republicans are not credible when it comes to talking about our national security. They may carry on talking about it, but when it comes down to actually doing something about it, they oppose everything we put forward.