Thompson lays down Democrats’ Homeland security agenda
When Democrats assume control of the U.S. Congress next year, they plan to make Homeland security one of the cornerstones of their agenda.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who will become chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, told reporters last week he would seek to boost funding for rail and mass transit; strengthen security regulations for chemical plants and container cargo; and implement what he said are a number of recommendations from the 9/11 commission that remain unaddressed.
But he acknowledged Democratic plans would likely face some of the same challenges — especially turf conflicts in Congress — that stymied initiatives of their Republican predecessors.
Thompson acknowledged that “there will still be some split jurisdiction,” but maintained Democrats will be in a better position to resolve turf issues. “We can make it work,” he told United Press International.
Congressional reform is one element of the 9/11 commission’s recommendations that remains largely unimplemented, in part because, whichever party is in power, committee chairmen are generally reluctant to cede authority.
According to commission member Tim Roemer, “some of the unfinished recommendations are among the most important.”
He said four of them are: completing the move to risk-based allocation of federal Homeland security grants, away from what he calls “pork-barrel” allocations; implementing spectrum changes to enable interoperable first responder communications; countering the spread of nuclear and other non-conventional weapons; and engaging in a battle for the “hearts and minds” of Muslims.
But he acknowledged that some of the changes are outside the purview of Congress.
“Congress can’t do all of this,” he said. “They don’t have the steering wheel.”
But Congress does have the purse strings, and analysts predicted they would loosen them.
“The Democratic takeover will likely result in significant new funding for Homeland security initiatives,” said Matthew Farr, a senior Homeland security analyst with business consultants Frost and Sullivan.
Thompson also said Democrats will look again at the law mandating 700 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, and may seek to scrap the plan altogether.
He said that the high-technology Secure Border Initiative, or SBI Net — essentially a set of monitors, cameras and other integrated surveillance systems to monitor the border — is a viable alternative.
“We might do away with it, or look at (integrating it into) SBI Net,” he said, “A virtual fence rather than a real one.”