National Security
On December 5, 2005, the 9/11 Commission released its Final Report on the Commission's recommendations following the events of September 11, 2001. The report graded the Congress on a standard academic scale in 41 areas regarding its recommendations. Congress received 17 grades of either D or F, and 2 incompletes (for a copy of this report, visit http://www.9-11pdp.org).
Despite all the grandstanding around killing the Dubai Ports deal, today over 95% of the containers arriving at US ports are still not inspected. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch (May 7, 2006, page B4) Kenny Hulshof voted against a bill to require electronic screening of all containers bound for the US. The measure failed 222-202. If Kenny Hulshof and just 10 other Congressmen had voted for this measure, every container bound for the US would be inspected today.The Republicans finally listened to the American people and didn't sell out our ports, but then they didn't solve the larger and very real problems we face!
According to a recent GAO report at the request of Congress, federal investigators were able to carry all the materials needed to make a bomb through security at 21 airports. In a statement that is part irony and very nearly part tragedy, the Department of Homeland Security criticized the GAO for this report, saying, "While random items commonly found under a kitchen sink could conceivably be concocted into an IED... we find it highly implausible." Months later, as travellers were being forced to dump thousands of gallons of shampoo and other liquids before boarding flights, they apparently had a very different opinion. Perhaps if the TSA hadn't gone through four directors in three years (and currently run by a computer consultant and former lobbyist for the Department of Transportation) and were instead being run by someone with SECURITY EXPERIENCE we might actually BE safer. As it is today, despite all the money we have spent on increased aiport security and despite all the civil rights we have sacrificed, a 10 year old blond American boy can't get on a commercial flight without having to remove his shoes or get wanded down (and far more insidiously, our children are getting used to these sorts of incursions into their civil liberities). We need a TSA that actually makes us safer and doesn't succumb to "knee jerk" reactionary behavior, one that errs on the side of caution and not paranoia.
The Republicans have had their chance to demonstrate their commitment to National Security. We need a Congress and Representatives who will allocate Homeland security funds based on risk and vulnerability and not as a modern slush fund. We need to secure our ports, our chemical plants and our nuclear plants. We need adequate airline prescreening. Congress must act to allow government agencies to share information far more effectively. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Board must be confirmed by the Congress and begin its work. Security clearances must be standardized. The Intelligence budget should be declassified and there must be standards for terrorist detention.
Bush Administration officials continue to try to keep America living in fear. They compare anyone who disagrees with them to Nazi appeasers and they misrepresent the real threats we face. America was once the home of a truly brave Administration which assured us that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Today they've been replaced by an Administration which seems to have nothing to offer us but fear itself. The American people have more courage and deserve more than that.