Panel votes to send 9/11 Commission bill to full Senate

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Thursday approved a sweeping 230-page bill to implement unfulfilled recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, but only after senators argued about how to distribute billions of dollars in homeland security grants and whether airport screeners should have collective bargaining rights.

"Today we continue the process of securing our nation in this new era where our enemies don't wear uniforms or attack with fleets of planes or ships, but rather try to move silently among us -- probing for weaknesses while plotting disastrous attacks against innocent civilians," Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., said of the bill, which served as a substitute to an amendment he previously filed. Lieberman said he expects the bill go to the floor quickly.

The bill was approved 16-0, with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., abstaining. Coburn said he wants to see what changes can be made to the bill before it goes to the floor. Lieberman pledged to work with senators to further refine the bill as it goes to the floor.

The markup lasted into the early afternoon, mainly because of a large number of amendments proposed by Coburn. At one point, Coburn lost track of which amendments had been approved and which were still pending. "When you have this many it's hard to keep them all straight," he said.

Much of the debate focused on oversight and distribution of homeland security grants. An amendment from Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to alter the funding formula for distributing state homeland security grants was defeated, 10-7. The amendment would have granted each state 0.25 percent of funding available through the program, as opposed to 0.45 percent in the bill.

An amendment from Coburn that would have imposed a sunset date on all provisions in the bill failed, 15-2. Coburn argued to no avail that Congress should be forced to review Homeland Security Department programs after five years. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, countered that Coburn's amendment was too broad and would "sunset the department."

A Lieberman amendment to grant Transportation Security Administration screeners collective bargaining rights and whistleblower protections was approved, 9-8. Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, opposed the amendment, saying it was stepping on the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee, which he chaired in the last Congress.

Notably, the committee approved by voice vote an amendment from Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, setting criteria for the Homeland Security Department to expand the number of countries allowed to participate in the government's visa waiver program. Lieberman and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., voted against the amendment.

The program allows citizens of those countries to travel to the United States for up to 90 days without a visa. The amendment was adopted after being modified by Collins.

The modification requires Homeland Security to establish a system under the US-VISIT program to verify when foreigners leave the country at airports. Collins said she believes DHS could create the system within a year.