WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush on Saturday renewed his urging that the Senate approve legislation creating a new Department of Homeland Security, noting the recent arrests of men in New York state who are suspected of having al Qaida ties.
Six men in Lackawanna, N.Y., are suspected of being part of an al Qaida sleeper cell. A federal judge in Buffalo, N.Y., is considering their request for bail. Bush also mentioned the arrest in Pakistan of five suspected al Qaida members.
"These arrests remind us that we are engaged in a new kind of war, fought on many fronts, including the home front," Bush said during his weekly radio address to the nation. "The arrests also remind us that the enemy is still at large, threatening our safety and security. Defeating terrorism requires constant vigilance and preparation by our citizens and by our government."
The White House and the Senate have been at odds on how a Homeland Security agency would work and how its employees would fit in the now-unionized federal workforce. Senate Democrats want labor protections to remain in place. Bush says he wants flexibility in hiring and firing.
Under debate is the president's proposal for a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security that would consolidate more than 170,000 workers in 22 federal agencies. Bush said the move would end overlap of duties among dozens of departments in Washington, resulting in a more cost-effective operation.
On Thursday, Senate Democrats failed to gather enough votes for an amendment proposed by Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., that called for labor protections for the new agency's workers.
"After three weeks of debate, the Senate has still not passed a bill I can sign. The legislation the Senate is debating is deeply flawed. The Senate bill would force the new department to fight against terror threats with one hand tied behind its back," the president said Saturday.
Bush and Senate Republicans oppose union rules or restrictions on hiring, firing or job assignments. Bush has vowed to veto any bill that would restrict his ability to ban collective bargaining with labor unions when the national security interest warrants it. He has argued that limiting his flexibility surrounding labor would compromise national security efforts.
But Democrats and labor groups say that maintaining existing worker protections and rights to appeal decisions on pay or job termination has no impact on the administration's ability to manage the federal workforce or limit Bush's ability to conduct the war on terrorism.
Sens. Zell Miller, D-Ga., and Phil Gramm, R-Texas, have been crafting a compromise that would allow the president to exempt the new agency from collective bargaining requirements that allow employees to unionize. While the alternative proposal is being called bipartisan, so far, Miller is the only Democrat on board. Both senators met with Bush at the White House on Friday.
"We have a bipartisan proposal. We have listened to what critics have said. We have made many changes in the president's proposal. We have accepted a tremendous amount of what is in the Democrat bill," said Gramm after the meeting. "We've taken provisions from the House. We've talked to dozens of senators individually. But the bottom line is, we have preserved the ability of the president to get the job done. Our bill gives the president the tools he needs to fight and win the war on terrorism."
The senators plan to introduce the amendment on Tuesday afternoon and expect three or four days of debate. Gramm said the Democratic Caucus should take the compromise and "be pleased with it" and said it appeared as if "they're trying to blackmail the president" by saying he can have the agency if he gives up the power he needs to run it.
Bush on Saturday praised Gramm's and Miller's efforts. He said their proposal would provide the new secretary of homeland security the flexibility needed to move people and resources to meet new terrorist threats.
"It will protect every employee of the new department against illegal discrimination, and build a culture in which federal employees know they are keeping their fellow citizens safe through their service to America," Bush said.
