Senate passes 9/11 bill

[ldzppln]

by a 60-38 margin... but Bush has threatened to veto the bill because he hates labor unions.

Senate approves 9/11 bill

The US Senate approved Tuesday by a vote of 60 to 38 a sweeping homeland security bill meant to shore up US defenses against future terror attack.

But the measure faces a veto threat from US President George W. Bush, who objects to the bill's collective bargaining provision for airport screeners.

The bill enacts numerous recommendations of the blue ribbon September 11 panel, which examined the causes of the 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington in its 2004 report.

Democratic lawmakers criticized Bush and his Republican allies for failing to adopt many of the commission's recommendations and had promised to implement the measures after winning a majority in the US Congress in last November's legislative elections.

"Preventing another 9/11 tragedy should be the highest responsibility of government," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) said after the vote.

"Today, the Senate has taken another major step towards fully implementing the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission. For too long, the Bush administration and a complacent Republican Congress ignored these critical homeland security improvements, and left our country less safe than it should be," Reid said.

"The American people have demanded change," he said.

Reid also called on the president to take back his veto threat.

"He and Republicans in Congress must not stand between the American people and the security they deserve."

The Senate legislation now must be reconciled with a House bill which contains similar union bargaining rights protections.

The White House objects to allowing airport screeners collective bargaining rights allowed most unionized workers, viewing the move as a potential threat to maintaining a high level of security in airports.

[rich76]

I agree with the repubs on this issue. If they (the screeners) get their collective bargaining agreement and decide for whatever reason to go on strike....where the hell is the security then? Unions have served their purpose and are now crippling this country.....do away with ALL of them as far as I am concerned. They've crippled Ford and GMC....who's next?

[spoc22]

I love how the article contains several quotes to "explain" the Dems' stand and make a single accusatory statement about Bush to "explain" the Repubs' stand.

[ldzppln]

Here's how the vote went.

50 Democrats, 2 Independents and 8 Republicans had enough good sense to vote for the passing of this bill. Meanwhile 38 republicans voted against taking the necessary steps to secure our nation against terror threats.

How did McCain vote? Oh look, he didn't vote. I guess he didn't want to be on the record being AGAINST protecting our country. Either that, or he's too busy running for president.




Yeah, he's a real maverick.

[spoc22]

It is now wonder Congress votes for stupid stuff. I thought I'd read the bill to find out EXACTLY what the vote was for but there were 150, let me repeat that, 150 amendments to the bill. It would take someone hours to go thru just this one bill and that would cut into their face time on Meet the Press or one of the other pundit shows not to mention their time to attack one another over trivial crap.