White House pledges not to strip all homeland employees' union rights

The White House late Thursday took an important step to solidify GOP support for homeland security legislation by agreeing to a written pledge not to abuse its authority to strip collective bargaining rights from unionized employees transferred to the new Homeland Security Department.

The promise, along with a number of smaller concessions, secured the endorsement of key moderate Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "I'm going to support the substitute," she said Friday, referring to the legislation introduced by Sens. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and Zell Miller, D-Ga., and backed by President Bush.

Collins' commitment came after the administration agreed to submit a letter from White House Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge promising the president would not rescind the collective bargaining rights of all employees once they are transferred.

However, another key Republican moderate-Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island-said he remains uncommitted.

At the White House Friday, Miller said he would be willing to consider minor changes in the Gramm-Miller substitute if the changes could attract more support. "If we could tweak it to pick up a vote here or there, we might," Miller told CongressDaily after briefing reporters at the White House on a meeting he and Gramm held with Bush.

Gramm said was hoping Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., who is sponsoring the competing Democratic bill, "might decide at some point to sit down and try to work this out."

Gramm said he was not sure whether his and Miller's bill would pass if put on the floor today. "I think we're very close to the goal line, but the official has not thrown up his hands and said, `Touchdown!'" Gramm said.

While noting he and Miller had not given up on any senator, Gramm indicated the lobbying effort is focused on "10 or 15" moderates. The Democratic leadership has indicated the amendment would be considered Tuesday afternoon, and Gramm said he expects "three or four days of debate."

The White House concession on the key labor issue came before a "climactic week" for the bill, Lieberman told a news conference Friday. The Senate is expected Monday to approve an amendment offered by Lieberman and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to create a special commission to investigate last year's terrorist attacks. Also Monday, senators are expected to reject an amendment from Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., that would require Congress to approve the step-by-step implementation of the Homeland Security Department.

Lieberman said he was "extremely optimistic" the Senate would accept the Lieberman-McCain amendment and reject the Byrd addition. Lieberman said the Byrd language would reduce the department to a "hollow shell."

It is "essentially saying that you are not going to have a Department of Homeland Security anytime soon," Lieberman said.

Overall, Lieberman said he was "surprisingly encouraged" with the measure and said he expects it to pass the Senate with broad bipartisan support as early as next week. He also praised the latest GOP bill, but said he still opposes its labor provisions and continues to negotiate with Republicans, as well as with Sens. John Breaux, D-La., and Ben Nelson, D-Neb., who are working on their own compromise on the employment rules.