Showdown looms between appropriators, homeland panel

House appropriators and the Homeland Security Committee could lock horns next week over a provision in the fiscal 2006 Homeland Security spending bill not to fund President Bush's proposal to create a new office for coordinating screening efforts.

The Homeland Security Committee authorized $827 million for the initiative -- $301 million more than Bush requested -- in the reauthorization measure for the Homeland Security Department.

The authorizers said the department has numerous programs that require background checks and security screening for travelers and workers. The initiatives use common resources to verify identities, but operate as separate entities, duplicating efforts and "wasting taxpayer and customer resources," according to summary of the reauthorization bill.

"A consolidated background check process is simply common sense," the panel argued. "Easing the burden on transportation workers and travelers not only makes the application process more convenient and customer-friendly, but enhances the well-being of all Americans by reducing the cost of commerce."

But before the House takes up the reauthorization measure mid-week, lawmakers are slated to approve the fiscal 2006 spending measure for the department that does not include funding for the screening coordination office (SCO).

"While the SCO office may have merit, the committee would like to see a broader justification for this office pending the results" of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's top-to-bottom review of the department, read the appropriator's report on the spending bill. Chertoff is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the department's structure and plans to recommend changes before the Memorial Day holiday.

The Bush administration requested the screening coordination office in its budget proposal to better coordinate and save money on terrorist-related screening activities of passengers, cargos and other entities.

The House appropriators disagreed, arguing they would continue to fund "critical credentialing programs" within the Transportation Security Administration instead. The lawmakers said moving the credentialing programs out of TSA into the new screening program would "greatly disrupt the work of these programs, many of which are in crucial stages of development."

The panel allocated $84.3 million to create a transportation vetting and credentialing account, which funds Secure Flight and a worker identification program.

The department wanted to place several screening programs under one roof, including the US-VISIT program, which tracks foreign visitors entering and exiting the country, and northern and southern border crossing programs. The proposal is reflected in Bush's homeland security directive issued last August, which was in response to recommendations made by the commission formed to investigate the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.