HOUSE VOTES ON AIR SECURITY PLAN
In a victory for President Bush and Republican leaders, the House on Thursday, Nov. 1, rejected by a vote of 218-214, an aviation security bill that would federalize security screeners. “The American people deserve tougher standards and the House plan delivers,” said Mr. Bush, who urged the House and Senate to work together to send a “strong and effective” bill to his desk. The House version of the bill calls for establishing a Transportation Security Administration within the Transportation Dept., allows either federal employees or contractors as screeners, requires the deployment of federal air marshals on flights, and directs the new security agency to take action to strengthen cockpit doors.
The Senate version of the bill, passed 100-0 three weeks ago, gives the Justice Dept. full responsibility for security at all airports and makes security screeners federal employees, boosting the federal workforce by 28,000. Accused of catering to special interest groups by House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, Rep.Tom DeLay (R-TX) responded that “the Senate, in haste, wrote a really flawed piece of legislation” that would make it difficult to fire incompetent workers and lead to an arduous transition from a private workforce to a government one, “It would be years before they’ll be able to impose their programs,” said Mr. DeLay. The bill now goes to a committee to work out the differences.
Source: The Dallas Morning News, 10/29/01 & 11/2/01
Editor’s Note: In her 10/24/01 column on terrorism, Eagle Forum President Phyllis Schlafly gives common sense suggestions on immediate actions the Bush administration and Congress should take, including requiring all airport security workers to be U.S. citizens. To view her entire column,
click
here.
HOUSE APPROVES WAR BONDS
On Oct. 23, the House approved a plan to issue war bonds to let Americans support the nation’s campaign against terrorism. The legislation authorizes the Treasury Dept. to sell its first war bonds since the end of WWII. The Freedom Bonds are similar to Treasury-issued savings bonds, which provide consumers with a safe investment backed by the government. Proceeds from the sale of Treasury bonds go into a pot of money for general spending. The proceeds from the new bonds would also go into that pot. Lawmakers considered a requirement that would make all proceeds go toward military spending, but decided that debating such a measure would take too much time. The legislation was to move to the Senate, and supporters say the final version of the legislation will reach President Bush’s desk by the end of the fall.
Source: The Washington Times, 10/29/01
POWELL’S MORAL HYPOCRISY
“Secretary of State Colin Powell’s testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations committee last week was an embarrassment,” writes Gary Bauer, 10/26/01. “President Bush has been clear—we are in a war against terrorism and as the President puts it, ‘Every nation…now has a decision to make. Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.’ In contrast, Powell tried to draw a distinction that does not exist between the individuals who blow up Jewish families in Israel and the people who killed American families on Sept. 11. In Powell’s view, Israel must negotiate with the terrorists who murder Israeli citizens, while we make war on the terrorists who murder Americans. This is moral hypocrisy and it runs the risk of confirming the strategy of bin Laden and his alliance of death. That strategy is: kill enough Americans and spread fear and we will abandon our allies and retreat from the world. Al Qaeda, the Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and Hamas are all weavers of the same tapestry of hate and destruction.”
PENTAGON ISSUES HIGH-TECH ID CARDS
The Pentagon began passing out the first high-tech ID cards that will eventually be in the hands of all 4 million military and civilian defense workers. The credit card size “smart” card will allow the holder to access secure Defense Web sites, log onto computers, digitally encrypt and sign e-mail, open secure doors, get cash, buy food and even check out weapons and military hardware. The card has a bar code, circuit chip and magnetic strip; it stores the person’s digital picture, fingerprints and personal identification number. It can quickly be deactivated if lost. Officials are considering whether to encode medical data on the card. Smart cards are used in Europe, South Africa and Argentina, but haven’t caught on in the USA.
Source: USA Today, 10/30/01
Editor’s Note: They haven’t caught on in the U.S. for one reason: a national ID card (i.e. smart card) is a giant step toward totalitarianism. Unfortunately, advocates usually have an appealing rationale for their implementation—tracking deadbeat dads, welfare fraud, illegal immigration—and in this case, as a
counter terrorism measure for the military. Columnist Thomas Sowell wrote in 1995: “A national ID card would not only permit even greater government snooping into people’s private lives, the information gathered would inevitably lead to more laws forcing more people to do more things the way the politicians want them done.” In reality, smart cards are unconstitutional.
SUPREME COURT WON’T HEAR ‘MOMENT OF SILENCE’ CHALLENGE
The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to hear the organization’s challenge to a Virginia law that permitted a moment of silence in the classrooms. The statute, passed in 2000, allows public schools to establish a minute of silence so that “each pupil may…meditate, pray, or engage in any activity which does not interfere with, distract, or impede other pupils in the like exercise of individual choice.” The ACLU claimed that the intent of the law was to return voluntary prayer to classrooms because the legislature included the word “prayer” in the statute. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, noted that the law is neutral; it does not require prayer, and to ban the word “prayer” would show hostility toward religion.
On October 1, 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court opened its new term with a moment of silence to honor those who died on Sept. 11…and on October 29 stated that it would not hear the case. The Virginia law will now go into effect.
Source: Liberty Counsel News Release, 10/30/01
SECURITY HIGH AT CONFERENCE ON CLIMATE-CHANGE TREATY Security concerns were high as thousands of delegates gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, to decide on rules to implement a climate change treaty. The two-week conference aims to complete a four-year effort [to write penalties for non-compliance] on limiting the human contribution to the gradual warming of the earth. More that 3,500 experts and advisors are working on legal language governing emissions of greenhouse gases. The U.S. has already abandoned the Kyoto Treaty, with the Bush administration contending that U.S. industry would become uncompetitive if Washington ratified it. At the last conference in Bonn, Germany, the U.S. stood alone while 178 other countries endorsed the final political agreement.
Source: The Dallas Morning News, 10/30/01
Editor’s Note: TEF President Cathie Adams calls the climate-change treaty a “wealth distribution scheme” in the November TORCH and says: “The Kyoto Protocol dealing with the global warming theory would require 38 developed nations bound by the treaty, including the U.S., to pay the remaining 150 undeveloped countries carbon emissions payments…and to transfer technologies to them.”
HANKINSON LEAVING THE TX SUPREME COURT
Supreme Court Justice Deborah Hankinson, a Republican, announced on Oct. 25 that she would not seek re-election to the bench. That means that of the five seats that will be on the November 2002 ballot, four will feature open-seat races or recently appointed justices who have never faced the voters. Increase each number by one if Priscilla Owen’s confirmation to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ever comes through.
Source: The Lone Star Report, 10/25/01
LOUISIANA PASSES DAY OF PRAYER
The Louisiana Legislature passed a resolution recognizing Wednesday, November 21, 2001 as a day of prayer, repentance and reconciliation. “The only sure protection for America against future terrorist attacks of even greater magnitude, is God,” said State Rep. Tony Perkins. Mr. Perkins is working with U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) to urge President Bush to issue a similar proclamation calling for a National Day of Prayer and Reconciliation. Republican Majority Whip Tom DeLay (TX) is working with them and has passed a resolution through the House calling for the same thing.
Source: Republican National Coalition for Life FaxNotes, 10/31/01
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