This in via email:
Today, the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security Republican Staff released a comprehensive report detailing the failures of House Democrats to enact the remaining 9/11 Commission recommendations. As has been reported, enacting all the remaining recommendations was a promise repeatedly made by House Democratic leadership during the 2006 election cycle."In only their first few days in the Majority, House Democratic leadership has already fallen short on the key security promise they made to the American people," Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Peter T. King (R-NY) said. "Republicans have already enacted an overwhelming majority of the recommendations, and the opening of the 110th Congress was a terrific opportunity to finish the job. Unfortunately, it is amounting to nothing more than a missed opportunity. I'm very disappointed."
The report, entitled "An Opportunity Missed: House Democrats and the 9/11 Commission Recommendations," cites several key 9/11 Commission recommendations on which House Democrats are failing to act, including: Oversight of Homeland Security; Oversight of Intelligence; Declassifying of the Intelligence Budget; and Transferring Paramilitary Operations to the Department of Defense.
The report also details past Democratic opposition to implementation of the recommendations, including: the REAL ID Act; Tracking Terrorist Financing; Border Security; the Creation of Homeland Security Committees; the Military Commissions Act of 2006; and even the original 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act, passed by the House in 2004.
This voting history, however, did not stop House Democratic leadership, rank-and-file members, and Democratic candidates across the country from promising to implement all the recommendations. As then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was quoted as saying: "On the first day we control Congress, we will begin by passing all of the 9/11 Commission recommendations." (Congress Daily PM, 10/30/06)
The report also cites the failure of Democratic leadership to allow "open, full, and fair debate" on their 9/11 bill, another promise they made to the American people. The bill is scheduled to come to the floor this week, having bypassed the committee process entirely. The legislation is also expected to be considered under a closed rule, with little debate and no ability for Republicans to offer amendments.
Under Chairman King's leadership, the Committee on Homeland Security had an established practice of moving all important homeland security legislation through the proper subcommittee and committee process, allowing for full and fair debate. This included the SAFE Port Act, Chemical Plant Security legislation, FEMA reform, the Border Security and Terrorism Prevention Act, and numerous DHS Reauthorization bills, among others.
"It is our full intent to build upon [our] accomplishments in the 110th Congress-and we need to be given the chance to do so through proper oversight, committee process, and floor procedures," the report concludes. "After all, homeland security is far too important an issue to play politics with. American lives are at stake, and it will take continuing, bipartisan oversight and legislative efforts to ensure the continued security of the homeland."
More politics as usual from the Party of Love...
