The Homeland Security Bill

Approved in the Senate, only minor changes left to send it to Bush

Eight Democrats and independent Sen. James Jeffords of Vermont voted "no" on the homeland security bill, which merges 22 diverse agencies with combined budgets of about $40 billion and which employ 170,000 workers. It will be the largest federal reorganization since the Defense Department was created in 1947.

But the battles over the department are just beginning. It will take months for the new agency to get fully off the ground. And a budget stalemate continues to block most of the extra money for domestic security enhancements both political parties want for the federal fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

On top of that, many senators were not happy with the final version of the bill and said they would work to make changes next year.

It passed 90 to 9. The bill's summary is a nightmare. I'll work on something regarding it tonight.

UT officials are looking forward to a likely increase in defense research grants:

The bill creates a Department of Homeland Security, combining 22 federal agencies and outlining a monumental transplant of about 170,000 federal employees. Officials see the opportunity for UT institutions to gain thousands of dollars in new defense research grants.

It could mean more work for Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, which the System wishes to operate. And in a larger scheme, the System could collaborate with others in Texas for a chance to operate the nation's homeland security research center.

"We think it's a great step forward," said William Shute, UT System vice chancellor for federal relations, talking by phone from Washington. "The various components within the System, and certainly UT-Austin, all do a great amount of research that fits the broad sense of homeland security. What's the biggest benefit [of this bill] is that it will centralize lots of that research."

Charles Sorber, UT System vice chancellor for special engineering programs, made similar judgments.

"There'll be a number of research opportunities involved in the bill, because I think there's a research component," Sorber said.

The 484-page bill, provides for a "Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency" that could place $50 million into competitive grants and contracts. The agency also could designate a "university-based research center or centers for homeland security."

Some of the unnecessary crap in the bill:

The pharmaceutical industry, which donated $35 million to the last two political campaigns, would gain protection from lawsuits over adverse side effects of vaccines. Conveniently, the restrictions would be retroactive, terminating injury cases that are already in the courts.

Makers of faulty bomb detectors, gas masks or other anti-terrorism devices would be granted immunity from liability, even in cases of intentional wrongdoing.

Companies could cover up violations of the law by hiding behind new restrictions on access to government information.

A provision inserted by incoming House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, would hand Texas A & M University the first department grant: a homeland- security research center.

A&M gets the pork! Oink, oink, Mr DeLay.

Posted by Drizzten at November 20, 2002 01:11 PM