9/11 Commission Recommendations Bill Blocked
Exerpts from today's Washington Post (emphasis ours):
Long-debated legislation to dramatically reshape the nation's intelligence community collapsed in the House yesterday, as conservative Republicans refused to embrace a compromise because they said it could reduce military control over battlefield intelligence and failed to crack down on illegal immigrants.
The impasse, which caught congressional leaders by surprise, was a blow to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and others who had personally asked House conservatives to accept the measure proposed by House-Senate negotiators early yesterday. It also marked a major setback for the Sept. 11 commission -- whose July report triggered a drive toward overhauling the nation's intelligence operations -- and for many relatives of victims of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
At one point, the Senate staff by mistake offered language for one section that had been submitted by [Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James] Sensenbrenner [Jr. (R-Wis.)], and he returned it, saying it was not good enough.
Congress may reconvene Dec. 6 attempt to pass this bill (instead of leaving for holiday break this weekend) so it's not too late to tell your representative(s) how you feel.
Long-debated legislation to dramatically reshape the nation's intelligence community collapsed in the House yesterday, as conservative Republicans refused to embrace a compromise because they said it could reduce military control over battlefield intelligence and failed to crack down on illegal immigrants.
The impasse, which caught congressional leaders by surprise, was a blow to President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and others who had personally asked House conservatives to accept the measure proposed by House-Senate negotiators early yesterday. It also marked a major setback for the Sept. 11 commission -- whose July report triggered a drive toward overhauling the nation's intelligence operations -- and for many relatives of victims of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
At one point, the Senate staff by mistake offered language for one section that had been submitted by [Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James] Sensenbrenner [Jr. (R-Wis.)], and he returned it, saying it was not good enough.
Congress may reconvene Dec. 6 attempt to pass this bill (instead of leaving for holiday break this weekend) so it's not too late to tell your representative(s) how you feel.
posted by Stephanie at
11:51 AM
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