Homeland Security bill can’t be rushed through

  • David Broder / Washington Post columnist
  • Tuesday, August 13, 2002 9:00pm
  • Opinion

WASHINGTON — The first item of business on the Senate’s calendar when it returns from vacation after Labor Day will be the bill to create a Department of Homeland Security and to restructure the executive branch for better coordination of the war against terrorism.

The work awaits the Senate largely because one man, Democratic Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, employed his knowledge of arcane Senate procedures to thwart the White House’s ambition to have the measure passed during the last few days it was in session before its August holiday.

To judge from much of the commentary, this is just one more example of a stiff-necked Senate elder demonstrating the capacity of a single legislator to demand a ransom from the nation for allowing an essential piece of work to go forward. But there is much more to the story than that.

What Byrd understands — and said, in a series of speeches — is that the reorganization plan embodies an enormous grant of presidential power: control of 170,000 federal jobs and a big chunk of future budgets. The pending bill presents the best, if not the last, opportunity for Congress to assure itself that power is exercised responsibly.

That is not to say that what President Bush is seeking is wrong. It is worth remembering that the impetus for the new department was forming among thoughtful members of Congress of both parties even before Sept. 11 and well before Bush acknowledged last spring that it might be a good idea.

But because its mission is so important and its scale is so large, it is worth taking the time to get it right. Having the bill on the president’s desk by the symbolic first anniversary of the terrorist attacks is much less vital than making the design as careful as it can be. Realistically, the new department will take months to staff at the top and years before its component parts really mesh — if they ever do. A few weeks’ difference in the signing ceremony will be of little consequence.

The draft of the Senate version, introduced by Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, consumes 37 closely printed pages in the Congressional Record. Its 24 titles specify everything from the creation of an official seal for the new department to the requirements for its training programs and the provisions for compensatory time for employee travel.

The House of Representatives did yeoman work before passing the bill by a wide margin after two nights and one day of debate late in July. Crafting the bill engaged some of the most serious members of the House and some of the ablest staff members for over a month.

No one did more useful service than Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, who is retiring this year. If Armey at times in the past has seemed petty or ham-handed, his handling of this assignment redeemed his reputation. He was fair to everyone, but he kept the process moving.

Armey was joined by some of the most skillful and experienced legislators in both parties, among them Republicans Rob Portman of Ohio, Chris Shays of Connecticut and Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania, Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman and Henry Waxman, all of California, and Tim Roemer of Indiana, another soon to retire.

The amendments they debated were anything but frivolous; the theme was how to balance the need for efficiency with the assurance of accountability and the protection of employee and citizen rights. Partisan considerations certainly came into play: Armey was protecting the president’s position; the Democrats were listening to public employee unions. But the discussion was serious and some of the votes very close.

Because the debate was truncated by House rules and the hours were late, little of it reached the public. If the Senate spends some days on it, a broader audience will become aware of what is being planned. Even more than in traditional parts of the bureaucracy — say Treasury or State — the success of the Department of Homeland Security will ultimately depend on the understanding and support of state and local governments — the "first responders" — and the cooperation of individual citizens.

Sen. Byrd is right to say this is not an issue on which to rush. He has done the country a service by forcing the process to slow down.

David Broder can be reached at The Washington Post Writers Group, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071-9200.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Feb. 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, the American Medical Association said it is calling for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarette and vaping devices. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Editorial: Shut down flavored tobacco’s gateway to youths

Legislation in Olympia would bar the use of flavors and menthol in vape products and cigarettes.

Herald report of Everett protest inaccurate, biased

I was at the rally and protest in Everett last on Feb.… Continue reading

Media shouldn’t use ‘she’ for trans people

About 79 percent of Americans oppose those observed male at birth from… Continue reading

USAID freeze halts vital aid work

I am outraged the Trump administration is making the U.S. weaker in… Continue reading

Goldberg: Trump declares war on higher ed, not just woke parts

The move, aided by Elon Musk, to gut NIH funding, is part of a larger and debilitating attack on academia.

Comment: Trump’s Kennedy Center will narrow exposure to art

Trump’s move to takeover the Kennedy Center is not about the arts but about celebrating his tastes.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Douthat: Trump is chasing off lawyers he’ll need at some point

The deal to clear Adams serves Trump only as a way of identify whom he can consider loyal in the DOJ.

President Donald Trump listens alongside Elon Musk as he explains the administration’s cost-cutting efforts in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. Musk has for weeks posted on social media about government spending, often amplifying and seeding false information. (Eric Lee/The New York Times)
Comment: This crisis can’t be left to courts alone

The courts can uphold the law, but they can’t match the speed of the executive branch in tearing down systems.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.