Dems put Union Interests ahead of our safety.
We should put our interest ahead of theirs, and vote these rascals out of office.
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White House rips Senate Homeland deal
From the Washington Politics & Policy Desk
Published 9/25/2002 12:28 PM
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The White House reacted Wednesday with scorn and derision to a compromise proposal on workers' rights in a federal Department of Homeland Security, calling it a rollback in presidential discretion that would strip the president of flexibility he says he needs in combating terrorism.
Any Homeland Security bill passed by Congress would meet a veto by President George W. Bush if it contained the Chafee, Breaux, Nelson proposal, officials said.
"The Senate describes it as a compromise," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. "It is not.
"Under the so-called Chafee, Breaux, Nelson compromise the president would have less national security authority in the Department of Homeland Security than he has in any other department and agency in the federal government today."
The measure, aimed at breaking the Senate deadlock on a Homeland Security bill, would grant authority to hire, fire and transfer unionized employees of the new department according to national security needs but with provisos.
The job would have been changed materially and be directly involved in anti-terrorism. If unions objected to the change in the employees status -- and proposed exemption from collective bargaining -- the matter would be sent to arbitration.
"Make no mistake," Fleischer said. "This is a rollback and a restriction" at a time the president needs more authority.
Fleischer said the Chafee, Breaux, Nelson measure was "exactly what the special interests of a few government unions" unsuccessfully to get put in the House bill last July.
The proposed Department of Homeland Security would involve about 170,000 workers -- about 43,000 of them unionized -- and 22 government entities. The president says he wants the same authority he enjoys with other agencies to exempt workers from collective bargaining rights when national security is involved.
"Every president since John F. Kennedy has exercised the authority with discretion and care, yet under this amendment, this discretion would be stripped away from the president," Fleischer said.
Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee is a moderate Republican from Rhode Island. Sens. John Breaux and Ben Nelson are Democrats from Louisiana and Nebraska, respectively.
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