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GOP Accused of Padding Intelligence Bill

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Wed Sep 29, 2004 at 11:56:38 PM EST
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Finally, a little backbone. Democrats have realized that the GOP is padding the 9/11 Intelligence bill with extraneous provisions.

House Republicans who want the Sept. 11 bill to include other anti-terrorism and immigration enforcement powers produced a 300-plus page package laden with bills they had introduced before the Sept. 11 report came out. By doing a large, comprehensive bill that would increase police powers and implement new anti-immigration measures such as denying immigrants certain court appeals and allowing more people to be arrested on accusations of supporting a terrorist group, House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., says they're responding to what the Sept. 11 commission wants: greater security for America.

All but one Democrat, Adam Schiff (D-CA) voted against the bill.

At the end of the day, we are left with a bill that not only does not implement all of the 9/11 commission's recommendations, but that includes numerous extraneous, unnecessary and controversial provisions," said Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the committee's top Democrat. The Senate won't accept those items when it comes time to negotiate a final bill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said. "This is their way of stopping the 9/11 commission's recommendations from being implemented."

Fine. Let them stop the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. Better that than enacting another turkey of a bill in the name of anti-terrorism.

The ACLU has all the disturbing details of the Republican proposed measure.

"The House leadership bill, in its current form, is a Trojan horse," said Laura W. Murphy, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. "The bi-partisan 9/11 Commission did not call for an assault on immigrants or an expansion of the Patriot Act; they said that the Patriot Act needs thorough review. By including these unwarranted provisions in this legislation, the Republican leadership is playing election year politics with intelligence reform."

The Republican bill is a wishlist of police powers.

The Republican House leadership unveiled their bill, the "9/11 Commission Implementation Act," late Friday. It contains several Patriot Act 2 provisions, and other expansions on law enforcement powers not called for by the 9/11 commission. Noting that the commission did not include any recommendation of Patriot Act expansion, or that due process and judicial review in the immigration system be curtailed, the ACLU called the House bill a "virtual wish list for law enforcement that would undermine liberty."

Another ill-conceived additon to the bill is the creation of a national identity card. Here's why you don't want one.

Here's what you need to be protesting:

* Oppose Expansion of the Death Penalty under the PATRIOT Act
* Oppose Repressive Measures Promoted as "Reform"
* Ashcroft Continues to Seek New Powers

* National Security Issues
* General
* Classified information
* Freedom of information/government secrets

* Freedom to travel
* Surveillance/wiretapping
* Terrorism and emergency powers
* War powers and the draft

National Security Issues
General
Classified information
Freedom of information/government secrets
Freedom to travel
Surveillance/wiretapping
Terrorism and emergency powers
War powers and the draft

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