To establish the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

November 13, 2002 7:48 PM

The Homeland Security Bill. It has passed the House, on to the Senate where it is believed that it will pass. The President will sign it. Yet the text of H.R.5710 is unavailable to the American public.
posted by four panels (18 comments total)

well, when the GOP is running the country....
posted by prescribed life at 7:50 PM on November 13, 2002

The text, as presented to the House, is here.
posted by four panels at 7:54 PM on November 13, 2002

Homeland Security is a nice money grab here's a few numbers on who's giving to get this bill passed: A number of different business groups are interested in this bill, which affects air transport ($10.6 million so far in the 2002 election cycle, 63 percent to the GOP), trucking ($3.2 million, 81 percent to GOP), sea transport ($2 million, 57 percent to GOP), and telecommunications (nearly $10 million, 54 percent to Democrats). If you're looking for work check into which companies are getting contracts from the new department, could mean some job security(no pun intended).
posted by jbou at 8:51 PM on November 13, 2002

I need to get a job like these guys. Then I wouldn't have to tell the people who hired me what I'm doing, I could give myself a pay raise whenever I felt I needed one, and I would only have to work part-time...not to mention the fringe benefits that corporate campaign financing brings.
posted by fatbobsmith at 9:24 PM on November 13, 2002

William Safire doesn't seem to like it, or the IAO.
posted by homunculus at 9:31 PM on November 13, 2002

Ignorance is bliss:

But the measure introduced Wednesday drops previous provisions to create an independent commission to investigate intelligence lapses before the September 11, 2001, terrorist strikes. Negotiations on creating an independent September 11 commission are continuing, several administration and congressional sources said.

"What you don't want is something that is designed to generate an October 2004 surprise," said one senior congressional source involved in the negotiations.
posted by homunculus at 9:43 PM on November 13, 2002

Yet the text of H.R.5710 is unavailable to the American public.

I know Thomas can be annoying to use, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it "unavailable to the American public." It's all there in black and white.
posted by oissubke at 5:45 AM on November 14, 2002

This morning, it is now available through Thomas.
posted by four panels at 6:26 AM on November 14, 2002

If only we could find someone from THOMAS to explain what happened…

Bill texts are first sent to the GPO for printing, then to THOMAS for web publication. The bill was introduced late on 11/12, so the GPO didn't have it ready for THOMAS in time for the once-a-day text upload on the morning of the 13th. However, the folks at THOMAS did receive the beginnings of the Bill Summary & Status file for the legislation, so some time before 11:45 am on the 13th, they took the unprecedented step of using the new note function on the BSS page for HR 5710 to provide a link to the pdf of the bill on the House Rules Committee's site. The text of the bill was on THOMAS this morning, as soon as we (um, I mean, they) got it from the GPO.

Most people are unaware that the GPO also provides access to bills. They don’t have the search functions that THOMAS has, and they don’t have status and other legislative information, but bill texts are sometimes available there before they are on THOMAS.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:03 AM on November 14, 2002

"No, I don't really have an interest in taking control of the Senate ever again," exclaimed an jubilant Tom Daschle explained before the families of the victims of Sep.11 who repeatedly have asked for an independent investigation and have vehemently opposed the compromise, "why do you ask?"

Apologies to XQUZYPHYR for the blatant plagarism.
posted by nofundy at 7:16 AM on November 14, 2002

Sorry, the pdf was on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security's site, not the House Rules Committee's.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:33 AM on November 14, 2002

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c107:1:./temp/~c107Fww56L:e353028:
interesting...
posted by joemeek at 8:05 AM on November 14, 2002

SEC. 886. SENSE OF CONGRESS REAFFIRMING THE CONTINUED IMPORTANCE AND APPLICABILITY OF THE POSSE COMITATUS ACT.

(a) FINDINGS- Congress finds the following:

(4) Nevertheless, by its express terms, the Posse Comitatus Act is not a complete barrier to the use of the Armed Forces for a range of domestic purposes, including law enforcement functions, when the use of the Armed Forces is authorized by Act of Congress or the President determines that the use of the Armed Forces is required to fulfill the President's obligations under the Constitution to respond promptly in time of war, insurrection, or other serious emergency.
posted by four panels at 8:16 AM on November 14, 2002

joemeek, that's a link to a temporary file; the link doesn't work now. What were you trying to link to?
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:29 AM on November 14, 2002

XQU... - Since 1992 the Senate can't raise its OWN pay, only that of the next Senate.

US Constitution:

Amendment XXVII

No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.
posted by Pollomacho at 9:28 AM on November 14, 2002

sorry

i was trying to post this;
SEC. 878. COUNTERNARCOTICS OFFICER.


The Secretary shall appoint a senior official in the Department to assume primary responsibility for coordinating policy and operations within the Department and between the Department and other Federal departments and agencies with respect to interdicting the entry of illegal drugs into the United States, and tracking and severing connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism. Such official shall--



(1) ensure the adequacy of resources within the Department for illicit drug interdiction; and



(2) serve as the United States Interdiction Coordinator for the Director of National Drug Control Policy.
posted by joemeek at 10:16 AM on November 14, 2002

Via /.: The Cyberspace Security Enhancement Act, with its lovely "good faith disclosure" exception, has been inserted into the Homeland Security bill. Lovely.
posted by homunculus at 11:29 AM on November 14, 2002

I haven't been outside much today. Has the sky started falling yet?
posted by jammer at 12:51 PM on November 14, 2002