Sherrod Brown on National Security - 9/11 Commission Recommendations

The Brown Record on National Security:

Brown Has Voted At Least FORTY-ONE TIMES Against Defense Spending Bills During His Time In Congress. (Initial Passage + Conference Reports)

Brown Voted Against Conference Reports On Defense Bills At Least 15 Times Since 1993.

Brown Was In the Minority Of His Own Party On Six Of These Fifteen Votes

Brown Missed Votes on Four Defense Conference Reports Since 1993.

In Addition, Brown Voted Against EVERY Major Defense Spending Bill For Fiscal Year 1998.

Brown Voted At Least TEN Times To Cut Funding For Intelligence During The Time Between The First Attack On The World Trade Center And September 11th, 2001.

Brown Also Voted Against At Least TWO Times Against Final Conference Reports on Intelligence Budgets Since 1993, And Against At Least FOUR Defense Appropriations Conference Reports Containing Intelligence Funding.

Brown Voted At Least TWELVE Times To Cut Funding For Ballistic Missile Defense, Beginning In 1993.

Brown Voted At Least SIX Times Against Policies To Deploy Ballistic Missile Defense Systems.

Brown Voted At Least THREE Other Times Against Ballistic Missile Defense Programs

Brown Would Not Even Congratulate The U.S. Military And Defense Contractors For A Successful Missile Interception Test In 2001

Over The Last Nine Years, The Subcommittee On Asia And The Pacific Has Held At Least Thirteen Meetings Or Markups On North Korea But Brown Skipped ALL Of Them Except ONE.

Sherrod Brown’s Attacks Regarding 9/11 Commission Recommendations

"Winning the war on terror will also require securing our nation," added Brown. "We must immediately implement and fully fund the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. We must secure our ports, our plants, our rail, and our airports to make our homeland security fail safe."

Mike DeWine and the Bush administration have failed to secure America. Less than 10% of the cargo at our nation's ports is inspected. Transit security has been underfunded. The airport cargo explosive screening procedures recommended by the 9/11 Commission have not been implemented. Three Ohio cities are considered to be at high risk for terrorist attacks, but DeWine did nothing as the Bush administration cut homeland security grants to the state by $37 million."

(Source)

The Truth Is...

...time and again Congressman Brown has played fast and loose with the facts when attacking Senator DeWine on national security and 9/11 Commission recommendations. Moreover, Congressman Brown has ignored his own votes that against vital programs and policies backed by the 9/11 Commission.

Congressman Brown voted against creating the Department of Homeland Security. (H.R. 5005, RC Vote #367, Passed 295-132, July 26, 2002, Brown voted Nay)

He has voted against billions of dollars for key 9/11 Commission priorities. In 2003 alone, Brown voted against $5.2 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, $439 million for explosive detection systems at airports, $100 million for strengthening cockpit doors, $240 million for port security programs, and $6.1 billion for the Coast Guard. (H.J.Res.2, RC Vote #32, Agreed to 338-83, February 13, 2003, Brown voted Nay)

Even after the 9/11 attack, Brown continued to vote against intelligence programs that play a vital role in preventing attacks on our ports, airports, transit networks, and other infrastructure. In 2003, Brown voted against the bill authorizing funding for the intelligence activities of the United States Government (H.R. 2417, RC Vote #649, Agreed to 264-163, November 20, 2003, Brown voted Nay)

Brown voted against the REAL ID Act, which implemented 9/11 Commission recommendations on secure identifications and strengthened border entry and exit programs. (H.R. 418, RC Vote #31, Agreed to 261-161, February 10, 2005, Brown voted Nay)

Brown voted against the PATRIOT Act in 2001 and again in 2005. The 9/11 Commission recommended having a full debate on the PATRIOT Act, and Senator DeWine took the lead by helping fashion the law on the Judiciary Committee. Meanwhile, Congressman Brown sat on the sidelines and voted no rather than working to find solutions. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #398: Passed 357-66: R 211-3; D 145-62; I 1-1, October 24, 2001, Brown voted Nay; H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #414: Passed 257-171: R 214-14; D 43-156; I 0-1, July 21, 2005, Brown voted Nay; H.R. 3199, CQ Vote #627: Adopted (thus sent to the Senate) 251-174: R 207-18; D 44-155; I 0-1, December 14, 2005, Brown voted Nay)

When faced with final up or down votes on funding for first responders, Sherrod Brown has voted against bills containing over $16 billion for law enforcement since 1999. Furthermore, he has cast up or down votes against $3.5 billion in homeland security grants and over $1 billion for firefighters and EMS units in just the last four years.

Brown has voted against economic policies supported by the 9/11 Commission, including free trade agreements with Oman and Bahrain that help solidify our bilateral relations and improve cooperation in the Global War on Terror.

Congressman Brown charges Senator DeWine with failing to secure America, with allowing cargo to go unscreened, and with failing to implement 9/11 Commission recommendations. These charges could not be further off the mark.

Securing America

Senator DeWine voted to create the Department of Homeland Security. (H.R. 5005, RC Vote #249, Passed 90-9, November 19, 2002, DeWine voted Aye)

Senator DeWine voted to implement 9/11 Commission recommendations with respect to:

radio spectrum for first responders; (S.Amt. 2370 to S. 1932, RC Vote #293, Not agreed to 30-69, November 3, 2005, DeWine voted Aye)

congressional oversight; (S.Res.445, RC Vote #208, Passed 79-6, October 9, 2004, DeWine voted Aye)

homeland security committees; (S.Res.445, RC Vote #208, Passed 79-6, October 9, 2004, DeWine voted Aye)

risk-based grant allocations; (S.Amt.4634 to H.R. 5441, RC Vote #198, Not agreed to 36-64, July 13, 2006, DeWine voted Aye)

intelligence reforms; (S.2845, RC Vote #216, Passed 89-2, December 8, 2004, DeWine voted Aye)

National Strategy for Transportation Security; (S.2845, RC Vote #216, Passed 89-2, December 8, 2004, DeWine voted Aye)

National Counterterrorism Center; (S.2845, RC Vote #216, Passed 89-2, December 8, 2004, DeWine voted Aye)

terrorist financing; and

secure identification and border security (H.R. 1268, RC Vote #117, Passed 100-0, May 10, 2005, DeWine voted Aye)

economic policies; (Bahrain FTA, Oman FTA)

DeWine voted for the PATRIOT Act, has pushed for full intelligence funding, authored the CITA program and expanded it for anti-terrorism purposes, lead the way in creating the $3 billion FIRE Act program, etc.

It is no accident that there has not been a terrorist attack on American soil since September 11th. We have not done everything we need to do, but our efforts thus far have been a success – despite no votes on key elements from Sherrod Brown.

Port Security

Senator DeWine voted to create the Department of Homeland Security, bringing together Coast Guard, Customs, and other federal agencies with roles in cargo security.

Senator DeWine has co-sponsored the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act of 2006 (S.2459) and the Maritime Security Improvement Act of 2006 (S.2791), both of which call for dramatically increasing cargo screening and the resources for container security programs.

Senator DeWine has voted on numerous occasions for both Democrat and Republican sponsored amendments to increase port security, going against most members of his own party several times to do so. For fiscal year 2007 alone, Senator DeWine voted for or co-sponsored successful amendments that increased port security spending by over $1.4 billion.

Transit security

DeWine has co-sponsored the Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2006 and the Rail Security Act of 2006 (combined together in S. 2791), which would authorize grants for transit security programs, establish and update annually transit security improvement priorities, ensure that DOT receives timely notification of all credible terrorist threats against U.S. public transportation assets, authorizes grants for rail security along heavily-used Amtrak corridors, and requires rail carriers that transport hazardous materials to implement new security procedures.

DeWine has voted for increased transit security appropriations. “These are 4 transit security amendment votes in the FY06 and FY05 Homeland Security Appropriations bills. Senator DeWine voted “Yea” on all of them, but they were all rejected. Most were to waive budget authority and one was on passage of the amendment. The Schumer and Shelby amendments have the amount of funding stated...

Fiscal Year 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill

Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive the Emergency Designation Re: Schumer Amdt. No. 4587 )
Vote Number: 196 Vote Date: July 12, 2006, 05:35 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 4587 to H.R. 5441 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 )
Statement of Purpose: To increase the amount appropriated for transit security by $300,000,000.
Vote Counts: YEAs 50
NAYs 50

DeWine (R-OH), Yea


Question: On the Motion (Motion to Waive CBA Re: Biden Amdt. No. 4553 )
Vote Number: 194 Vote Date: July 12, 2006, 02:02 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 4553 to H.R. 5441 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 )

Statement of Purpose: To increase amounts for the rail and transit security programs, and for other purposes.
Vote Counts: YEAs 50
NAYs 50

DeWine (R-OH), Yea


Fiscal Year 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations bill

Question: On the Motion (Motion To Waive CBA Shelby Amdt. No. 1205 As Modified )
Vote Number: 186 Vote Date: July 14, 2005, 03:59 PM
Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Motion Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1205 to H.R. 2360 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act )

Statement of Purpose: To allocate funds for certain terrorism prevention activities, including rail and transit security. ($1,166,000,000 for transit security grants)
Vote Counts: YEAs 53
NAYs 45
Not Voting 2
DeWine (R-OH), Yea

Question: On the Amendment (Gregg Amdt. No. 1220, As Modified Further )
Vote Number: 185 Vote Date: July 14, 2005, 03:41 PM
Required For Majority: 1/2 Vote Result: Amendment Rejected
Amendment Number: S.Amdt. 1220 to H.R. 2360 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act )

Statement of Purpose: To allocate funds for certain terrorism prevention activities, including rail and transit security.
Vote Counts: YEAs 46
NAYs 52
Not Voting 2

Airport Security

Senator DeWine has voted for over $4.3 billion…

Compare And Contrast The Records And You Will See That Sherrod Brown Can Not Be Trusted On National Security Issues.