White House threatens veto of Senate homeland security bill

The White House Tuesday welcomed Congress back to town by turning up the heat on the Senate to change legislation establishing a Homeland Security Department.

In a strongly worded statement of administration policy, the White House stated flatly that Bush would veto the Senate bill in its current form. The statement said the bill fails to provide sufficient reorganization authority; transfers of funds without congressional approval; or adequate management "flexibility" on personnel.

White House Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge had appeared Tuesday on the morning talk shows, saying he would recommend a veto if changes are not made.

The legislation has passed the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and is headed for the Senate floor this week.

Bush has insisted, so far without success, that Congress provide the future Homeland Security Department secretary with the right to suspend certain civil service protections and reallocate already approved funding without the consent of Congress. White House aides Tuesday portrayed the powers Bush is requesting as consistent with those other Cabinet secretaries can already invoke during national emergencies.

"The president is asking for the same flexibility that other agencies have-the same management flexibility, the same ability to hire and fire as necessary," said White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.

However, appearing on NBC's Today Show, Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., dismissed Bush's repeated calls for greater managerial flexibility.

"It is not a real issue ... and certainly not reason to veto this bill and delay the security of our defenses, the raising of our guard against terrorist attack," Lieberman said.

The president discussed homeland security during a White House meeting with Senate Republican leaders Tuesday afternoon, including Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., Minority Whip Don Nickles, R-Okla., and the ranking members of committee with purview over the issue.

Bush plans to emphasize his objections to the Senate bill in subsequent meetings he will have with other lawmakers, including Democrats, during the week. At the gatherings, Bush will also discuss other aspects of the fall agenda and the war on terrorism, aides said.