12 October 2001
Senate and House Approve Similar Anti-Terrorism Bills
(But air safety measure, passed by Senate, stalls in House) (720)
By Ralph Dannheisser
Washington File Congressional Correspondent
Washington -- The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly passed a pair of
bills that expand law enforcement powers in the fight against
terrorism and tighten aviation security, and the House of
Representatives has approved a companion anti-terrorism bill -- though
one with significant differences.
Disagreements over whether or not to federalize the jobs of airport
baggage checkers stalled final House action on the second measure,
however.
The Senate anti-terrorism legislation, passed by a 96-1 vote late
October 11, would broaden the ability of law enforcement agencies to
wiretap suspected terrorists, share intelligence information, and
prosecute persons who knowingly harbor terrorists.
The other Senate bill, also passed October 11 - this one by a
unanimous 100-0 vote - would create a new, federalized force of
baggage screeners, put armed federal guards at key checkpoints, and
increase sharply the number of plainclothes "sky marshals" on
commercial flights.
The House anti-terrorism bill passed by a 337-79 margin October 12.
The measure stirred substantial debate, after Republican House leaders
sought to drop the version that had been proceeding through that
chamber in favor of the one passed by the Senate and approved by the
White House -- one that some legislators argued would pose a real
danger to civil liberties in this country.
The Senate version, for example, would establish the new wiretapping
authorities permanently, while House members favored a five-year
"sunset" -- or expiration date -- on some of them.
"This could be the Gulf of Tonkin resolution for civil liberties,
instead of a measure meant to fight terrorism," said Representative
Peter DeFazio (Democrat, Oregon). His analogy was to the resolution
passed by the Senate in 1964 that ultimately gave President Lyndon
Johnson broad powers in prosecuting the Vietnam War.
But House Majority (Republican) Leader Richard Armey declared, "A good
government makes the people secure while preserving their freedom, and
that is what this bill does."
The sunset issue and other differences between the House and Senate
versions still must be resolved, most likely by a Senate-House
conference committee, before a final bill can be sent to President
Bush to sign into law.
A second key difference is that the Senate bill includes a
money-laundering provision that the House measure omits. And Senate
Majority (Democratic) Leader Thomas Daschle said before the House
acted, "We will not support a counterterrorism bill that does not have
money laundering provisions in it.... It must be done, and we will
insist that it be done."
"Money laundering" refers to transactions designed to obscure the
origin and ownership of illicit funds.
As for the air safety measure, House members remained seriously
divided over the provision of the Senate bill that would federalize
airport security personnel.
Many Democrats insist that turning over security to federal operation
is vital to improve what they say has been spotty performance by
low-paid, under-trained baggage checkers.
But Republicans, who control the House, are concerned about expanding
the federal workforce so significantly. They say they will not bring
the bill to the floor until they are sure they can pass a version
favored by the White House that would keep the screeners in the
private sector, even while extending federal controls over their
supervision and training.
White House officials said October 12 that President Bush could well
tighten air security by executive order - bypassing Congress entirely
- if the legislature does not undo the Senate provisions. Press
Secretary Ari Fleischer said Bush has authority to order stronger
cockpit doors, add air marshals and tighten standards for the hiring
and training of baggage screeners.
In support of the White House approach, House Transportation Committee
Chairman Don Young (Republican Alaska), told reporters, "We're not
even going to talk about the Senate bill."
House Minority (Democratic) Leader Richard Gephardt urged speedy
action along the lines of the Senate bill. "I think people in the
country will have trouble understanding why the Congress can't just do
what is rational and sensible at this time of crisis in the country,"
he said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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