A bill that included a portion of the 9/11 commissions recomendations overwhelmingly passed in the Senate. Here's the voting results. It passed with a 96 Yea 2 Nay vote with 2 Senators not voting. Can you guess which two didn't vote? (hint: they both were in debates in the past week).

Rob at Say Anything is sceptical of the bill.

Washington Post

The Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday to revamp the structure of the nation's intelligence community by creating a national intelligence director, a counterterrorism center and other agencies in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The bill calls for the most dramatic changes to the intelligence community in half a century, and would give the new director authority to coordinate the activities and spending of the CIA and several other intelligence agencies throughout the government. It would also declassify the amount of money the government spends on intelligence and would create a civil liberties board to safeguard privacy and civil rights as the government steps up anti-terrorism activities.

I'm more in favor of the House bill about to head to Congress.

The Senate bill sharply contrasts with the bill working its way through the House, where the issue has been tightly controlled by GOP leaders. Although senators acclaimed their bipartisan accomplishment, their bill must be reconciled with the one in the House. The House bill, scheduled to reach the floor today or Friday, was written entirely by Republicans and differs in many respects from the Senate bill.

It largely tracks the Senate bill in creating an intelligence director and counterterrorism center. But the House measure contains other provisions likely to cause strenuous debate. One, which would boost law-enforcement and immigration-control powers, has been criticized by civil liberties groups and is opposed by some leading senators. One of the most controversial provisions would make it easier for the government to deport foreign suspects to nations where they might be tortured.

As I mentioned in my recent article The Latest Illegal Alien Immigration Report the White House was pressuring Republican Representatives to cut the immigration portions out of the house bill, but Lone Wacko informs us that Republicans in the house are standing firm. I'm happy about that.

Washington Times

The bill calls for a crackdown on driver's licenses for illegal aliens, easier deportations and limits on the use of foreign consular identification cards. The White House initially signed off on these provisions, which House leaders and some September 11 family members endorsed.

...

The Washington Times reported Monday that White House policy staffers urged House members over the weekend to strip out the immigration provisions, said a congressional source familiar with the bill and Rosemary Jerks, a lobbyist for Numbers USA, an immigration controls group that has been tracking the bill.

Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican, said the White House submitted a document to the House leadership asking that the provisions be removed.

"I don't have it, but I have seen it and there is no question that [a policy staffers meeting] did take place," he said.

"I see my leadership standing firm and we will pass the bill," he said. "But my fear is that we are just trying to get Democrats to vote against it," only to have the immigration provisions "be stripped in conference."

Tancredo is my hero. I hope this can make it through Congress, it's going to be an interesting vote.

Others Commentary:
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