WASHINGTON, D.C. (REUTERS) — The Democratic-led U.S. Senate failed to break a stalemate Thursday on legislation to create President Bush’s proposed Department of Homeland Security — raising further doubts regarding when or even if the department will come together.
With Democrats and Republicans accusing each other of trying to politicize rather than resolve a pivotal dispute over labor rights in the department, they may wait until after the Nov. 5 congressional elections to try to strike a deal again.
The two sides could not even agree Thursday how to proceed with possible votes on competing measures, leaving the matter deadlocked in the Senate, which first began debating the legislation seven weeks ago.
“Democrats have killed Homeland Security between now and the election,” said Sen. Phil Gramm, a Texas Republican, dismissing as untrue Democratic claims that Republicans were the ones who erected a roadblock.
Gramm said a bipartisan agreement might be reached after the election, but that it would depend on whether Democrats would be willing then “to break with the public employee labor unions … and compromise.”
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat frustrated that Republicans have repeatedly prevented votes on the legislation, said, “It is pretty clear what’s going on. They don’t support it, probably never did.”
The Senate followed the House’s lead later Thursday, informally recessing until after the election. Both could return earlier to act on any agreements reached on stalled bills.
Congress plans a “lame duck session” after the election when it could take another crack at Homeland Security. “I would like to believe that there is still a chance,” Daschle said.
President Bush first proposed the agency several months ago after prodding by mostly Democratic lawmakers in response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.
Since then, there has been broad bipartisan support voiced on both sides of the Capitol to create such a Cabinet-level department to better protect the nation against terrorism.
Yet the inability to reach an agreement on Bush’s demand for a free hand to hire, fire and transfer workers at the department in the name of national security has bogged down the legislation in the Senate.
Republicans have accused Democrats of bowing to unions, a major political contributor, by refusing to give Bush the “management flexibility” he says he needs to build an efficient anti-terror department.
Democrats charge Republicans with seeking to implement an unwarranted rollback of collective bargaining and civil service protections for government employees, and with trying to make the proposed department a campaign issue.
“Public servants are not the problem; terrorists are the problem,” Daschle said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Bush, campaigning in Georgia Thursday, lashed out at the Senate for failing to pass the bill. He said it would have been approved by now if the chamber were in Republican hands.
The Republican-led House passed a White House-backed version of the legislation July 26. Both chambers must agree on a bill before it can be sent to Bush to sign into law.
House Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas blamed Daschle for the failure to move the legislation, which would implement the biggest U.S. government reorganization in a half-century by rolling into the department all or parts of 22 agencies.
“Why is it that al Qaeda, this ragtag bunch of terrorists scattered all over the globe, can reorganize themselves … and the U.S. government cannot reorganize itself?” Armey said. “(The) difference is al Qaeda doesn’t have a Senate; al Qaeda doesn’t have a Senator Daschle that has other focuses. Al Qaeda has got a clear focus.”
Democratic Party Chairman Terry McAuliffe fired back: “If President Bush is sincere in wanting to enact this legislation, he should call on Congressman Armey to apologize” for moving to “politicize a legitimate policy debate.”
Gramm said Americans can decide Election Day which party has the right take on the issue.
A senior Senate leadership aide said both sides are now so far apart they may have to wait until a new Congress convenes in January to finally agree on Homeland Security.
If the legislation is put off until next year, its fate may rest with whatever party wins control in November of the closely divided House and Senate.