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House approves intelligence bill
Senate scheduled to vote on reform bill Wednesday
Tuesday, December 7, 2004 Posted: 7:38 PM EST (0038 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to approve the intelligence reorganization bill that had been held in committee for weeks.
The bill is likely to reach the Senate on Wednesday. President Bush has said he will sign it.
The legislation, drawn from recommendations made by a independent commission that reviewed intelligence failures that led up to the September 11, 2001, attacks, would overhaul the U.S. intelligence community. It would put most assets and budgets under the newly created post of national intelligence director. (More details)
The bill stalled November 20 when House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter and House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner persuaded House Speaker Dennis Hastert not to bring it to the House floor for a vote.
Many Democrats and Republicans were angered because they said they had the votes to pass the bill -- without the two congressmen and their supporters.
Hastert, R-Illinois, held back, and House-Senate conferees went to work to find language that would ease Hunter's concerns.
A top House GOP leadership aide predicted Tuesday that 20 to 40 conservatives will vote against the bill. If the number tops 50, it will be "troubling," he said.
Nevertheless, he said, GOP leaders will press ahead on the vote.
"They're not going to turn back at this point," the aide said.
Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tennessee, said Hastert likely will win a "slim majority of the majority," referring to the speaker's stated goal of gaining the support of most Republicans.
President Bush pushed for the bill in his radio address Saturday and in a letter to Congress on Monday, and Vice President Dick Cheney joined in the weekend talks.
Hunter had said he feared the new bill would give too much power to the national intelligence director, preventing battlefield commanders from having timely access to necessary satellite intelligence.
He gave his support to the measure when new language in the bill directed the president to issue guidelines for the intelligence director "in a manner that respects and does not abrogate the statutory responsibilities of the heads of the departments."
"Those few words help to satisfy concerns that were raised by Congressman Duncan Hunter and the others who were concerned that in some way the bill would lessen the authority of the secretary of defense over battlefield intelligence," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the bill's co-sponsors in the Senate.
"Personally, I believe strongly nothing in the original bill in any way hindered military operations or readiness, but by making this small change, we were able to provide some additional comfort to Congressman Hunter and get him on board."
Speaking at a news conference, Collins said she appreciated the help from the administration.
"The president and the vice president's interventions with House members were absolutely key in moving this bill forward," she said, "and I'm very grateful for the president's strong leadership in this regard."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, said that the bill honors the memory of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and vastly improves the intelligence system.
"We do substantial work in improving our border security, our transportation security, information sharing, standardized driver's licenses, which will help eliminate fraud from the identification process," Lieberman said.
Immigration questions set for next year
Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, wants provisions in the bill that would deny illegal aliens the right to have a driver's license. He often cites the fact that the 19 hijackers on September 11 had more than 60 licenses between them as a reason for the provision.
"I think the compromise is incomplete," Sensenbrenner said. "But they do have the signatures to bring the bill to the floor, and it will pass.
"I think this is a no-brainer issue. But I lay blame for the fact that this isn't in the bill specifically on Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who are bound not to have meaningful license reform in this bill."
Rep. David Dreier, R-California, said those provisions would be added to the first "must-pass" bill next year -- likely the Iraq war supplement. The immigration issues also include political asylum changes and completion of a fence on the Mexico-California border.
Dreier said it was unclear as to when the new House would discuss the Iraq bill.
House approves intelligence bill
Senate scheduled to vote on reform bill Wednesday
Tuesday, December 7, 2004 Posted: 7:38 PM EST (0038 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to approve the intelligence reorganization bill that had been held in committee for weeks.
The bill is likely to reach the Senate on Wednesday. President Bush has said he will sign it.
The legislation, drawn from recommendations made by a independent commission that reviewed intelligence failures that led up to the September 11, 2001, attacks, would overhaul the U.S. intelligence community. It would put most assets and budgets under the newly created post of national intelligence director. (More details)
The bill stalled November 20 when House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter and House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner persuaded House Speaker Dennis Hastert not to bring it to the House floor for a vote.
Many Democrats and Republicans were angered because they said they had the votes to pass the bill -- without the two congressmen and their supporters.
Hastert, R-Illinois, held back, and House-Senate conferees went to work to find language that would ease Hunter's concerns.
A top House GOP leadership aide predicted Tuesday that 20 to 40 conservatives will vote against the bill. If the number tops 50, it will be "troubling," he said.
Nevertheless, he said, GOP leaders will press ahead on the vote.
"They're not going to turn back at this point," the aide said.
Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tennessee, said Hastert likely will win a "slim majority of the majority," referring to the speaker's stated goal of gaining the support of most Republicans.
President Bush pushed for the bill in his radio address Saturday and in a letter to Congress on Monday, and Vice President Dick Cheney joined in the weekend talks.
Hunter had said he feared the new bill would give too much power to the national intelligence director, preventing battlefield commanders from having timely access to necessary satellite intelligence.
He gave his support to the measure when new language in the bill directed the president to issue guidelines for the intelligence director "in a manner that respects and does not abrogate the statutory responsibilities of the heads of the departments."
"Those few words help to satisfy concerns that were raised by Congressman Duncan Hunter and the others who were concerned that in some way the bill would lessen the authority of the secretary of defense over battlefield intelligence," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, one of the bill's co-sponsors in the Senate.
"Personally, I believe strongly nothing in the original bill in any way hindered military operations or readiness, but by making this small change, we were able to provide some additional comfort to Congressman Hunter and get him on board."
Speaking at a news conference, Collins said she appreciated the help from the administration.
"The president and the vice president's interventions with House members were absolutely key in moving this bill forward," she said, "and I'm very grateful for the president's strong leadership in this regard."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, said that the bill honors the memory of those killed in the 9/11 attacks and vastly improves the intelligence system.
"We do substantial work in improving our border security, our transportation security, information sharing, standardized driver's licenses, which will help eliminate fraud from the identification process," Lieberman said.
Immigration questions set for next year
Sensenbrenner, a Wisconsin Republican, wants provisions in the bill that would deny illegal aliens the right to have a driver's license. He often cites the fact that the 19 hijackers on September 11 had more than 60 licenses between them as a reason for the provision.
"I think the compromise is incomplete," Sensenbrenner said. "But they do have the signatures to bring the bill to the floor, and it will pass.
"I think this is a no-brainer issue. But I lay blame for the fact that this isn't in the bill specifically on Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who are bound not to have meaningful license reform in this bill."
Rep. David Dreier, R-California, said those provisions would be added to the first "must-pass" bill next year -- likely the Iraq war supplement. The immigration issues also include political asylum changes and completion of a fence on the Mexico-California border.
Dreier said it was unclear as to when the new House would discuss the Iraq bill.
