Lobbyists Resisting 9/11 Security Upgrades

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz

Lobbyists for farmers, retailers and television station owners are fighting a wide range of proposed laws to improve security and recommendations from the 9/ll Commission.

"It's really, frankly, a damning testimony about the system and the influence of special interests here in Washington," says Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who is particularly upset with broadcasters.

The 9/ll Commission recommended a portion of the broadcast frequency used by television stations be turned over to emergency first responders next year. The broadcasters, including ABC, want to stick to a previously planned date of 2009.

"Why are we waiting to save lives?" asked McCain in a report to be broadcast on a special ABC News program this evening. The broadcasters are literally "putting lives at risk," McCain said.

The broadcasters say viewers turn to them during emergencies for critical information, and at least 75 stations would lose a significant number of viewers who have no cable and whose televisions are not digital-ready if forced to abandon their frequencies before 2009.

Other proposed security improvements include a federal law requiring background checks and registration of anyone buying ammonium nitrate, a chemical fertilizer that can also serve as a devastating bomb-making material.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Pete King (R-NY), tells ABC News that lobbyists for the American Farm Bureau have blocked the proposal.

"I think they are making a mistake of not seeing the impact this has on the country and the world as a whole," King told ABC News.

Ammonium nitrate, widely available at farm stores, used by terrorists worldwide, most recently in the bombs placed on trains this summer in Mumbai, India.

An ABC News undercover investigation found strangers with cash could easily acquire lethal quantities of ammonium nitrate, with virtually no questions asked.

King says he was forced to accept a watered-down version of his bill because of the Farm Bureau opposition that background checks would be an unfair burden on farmers. "I'll tell you, I wish it was stronger," King said.

In yet another example of the power of special interests, lobbyists for major retailers, including Wal-Mart, are fighting against proposals that would require l00 percent of shipping containers be inspected for possible radiological or nuclear material.

The retailers say they have improved their own internal security, and inspecting their containers would needlessly delay the delivery of foreign goods to store shelves.

"This is a classic case of commerce trumping conscience and security," said Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), who is sponsoring the legislation.

[Marc and Olga 0]

Brian Ross and Rhonda Schwartz

Lobbyists for farmers, retailers and television station owners are fighting a wide range of proposed laws to improve security and recommendations from the 9/ll Commission.

"It's really, frankly, a damning testimony about the system and the influence of special interests here in Washington," says Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who is particularly upset with broadcasters.

The 9/ll Commission recommended a portion of the broadcast frequency used by television stations be turned over to emergency first responders next year. The broadcasters, including ABC, want to stick to a previously planned date of 2009.

"Why are we waiting to save lives?" asked McCain in a report to be broadcast on a special ABC News program this evening. The broadcasters are literally "putting lives at risk," McCain said.

The broadcasters say viewers turn to them during emergencies for critical information, and at least 75 stations would lose a significant number of viewers who have no cable and whose televisions are not digital-ready if forced to abandon their frequencies before 2009.

Other proposed security improvements include a federal law requiring background checks and registration of anyone buying ammonium nitrate, a chemical fertilizer that can also serve as a devastating bomb-making material.

The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Pete King (R-NY), tells ABC News that lobbyists for the American Farm Bureau have blocked the proposal.

"I think they are making a mistake of not seeing the impact this has on the country and the world as a whole," King told ABC News.

Ammonium nitrate, widely available at farm stores, used by terrorists worldwide, most recently in the bombs placed on trains this summer in Mumbai, India.

An ABC News undercover investigation found strangers with cash could easily acquire lethal quantities of ammonium nitrate, with virtually no questions asked.

King says he was forced to accept a watered-down version of his bill because of the Farm Bureau opposition that background checks would be an unfair burden on farmers. "I'll tell you, I wish it was stronger," King said.

In yet another example of the power of special interests, lobbyists for major retailers, including Wal-Mart, are fighting against proposals that would require l00 percent of shipping containers be inspected for possible radiological or nuclear material.

The retailers say they have improved their own internal security, and inspecting their containers would needlessly delay the delivery of foreign goods to store shelves.

"This is a classic case of commerce trumping conscience and security," said Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), who is sponsoring the legislation.

I saw the ABC show after The Path to 9/11 and was stunned at the attitudes of some of those people!

I think someone should go buy some Ammonium Nitrate and park their truck by one of the shiney FB buildings...if you know what I mean! THEN maybe they will understand the slight inconvenience they are being asked to put up with is worth it!

The look on the FB girls face when she was told they bought a BUNCH of the stuff and parked it in Washington was priceless!

EDIT: I forgot to mention the program mentioned they parked their truck full of ammonium Nitrate in Washington D.C. for OVER a month, no questions asked!

Edited September 12, 2006 by Marc and Olga

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I saw the ABC show after The Path to 9/11 and was stunned at the attitudes of some of those people!

I think someone should go buy some Ammonium Nitrate and park their truck by one of the shiney FB buildings...if you know what I mean! THEN maybe they will understand the slight inconvenience they are being asked to put up with is worth it!

The look on the FB girls face when she was told they bought a BUNCH of the stuff and parked it in Washington was priceless!

EDIT: I forgot to mention the program mentioned they parked their truck full of ammonium Nitrate in Washington D.C. for OVER a month, no questions asked!

Shouldn't this be part of Bush's strategy on making America safer? I like how Rep. King pretty much rolls over and lets the lobbyists have their way - one could dare say that's a defeatist attitude which often gets associated with those who want our troops to withdraw. Nah, we'll keep them over there, but we just can't stop lobbyists interfering with national security.

[seldi 1]

I love it how they're overly compulsive about everything now...Maybe they should have ALWAYS been like that

[peejay 327]

It is no small secret that Bush and some members of the US Senate that are in the hip pocket of the US Chamber of Commerce / corporate America adamantly refuse to secure our southern border with Mexico unless they get amnesty for illegal aliens and huge increases of foreign workers into the USA even though a majority of Americans oppose their agenda. Five years after 9/11 it is a fact that $$$ of corporate America are more important to them than the security and safety of Americans. So narcotics, criminals, and unknown numbers of terrorists continue to enter our country along with their cheap illegal workforce.

But to be fair (and accurate) I must slam the Democrats for striving to be the Party of illegal aliens. Since their flakey liberal agenda just doesn't appeal to most Americans, they hold any effort to secure the border hostage to their agenda of full amnesty and citizenship for millions of illegal aliens.

So we have cheap labor vs. cheap votes, but the result is still the same. The American public is being screwed by our elected officials for their own selfish agendas. It is a selfish unholy alliance of divergent agendas and the best interests of a vast majority of Americans are not being represented.

The US House wants enforcement of the law and border security for the American people, but the President and the Senate continue to hold this hostage to their amnesty agenda.

Is this any surprise?

I saw the ABC show after The Path to 9/11 and was stunned at the attitudes of some of those people!

I think someone should go buy some Ammonium Nitrate and park their truck by one of the shiney FB buildings...if you know what I mean! THEN maybe they will understand the slight inconvenience they are being asked to put up with is worth it!

The look on the FB girls face when she was told they bought a BUNCH of the stuff and parked it in Washington was priceless!

EDIT: I forgot to mention the program mentioned they parked their truck full of ammonium Nitrate in Washington D.C. for OVER a month, no questions asked!

Shouldn't this be part of Bush's strategy on making America safer? I like how Rep. King pretty much rolls over and lets the lobbyists have their way - one could dare say that's a defeatist attitude which often gets associated with those who want our troops to withdraw. Nah, we'll keep them over there, but we just can't stop lobbyists interfering with national security.

Bullsh*t! Rep. King is saying that he opposes these lobbyists. However he has just one voice and one vote in the US House. BTW Rep. King has a strong record of supporting border / port / POE security.

Your hatred of Republicans is obvious.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

King is one of those "national" Republicans who appears on Fox News all the time saying outrageously provacative things about Democrats and anyone who opposes Bush's atrocious policies on Iraq.

In 2005, King stated that Valerie Plame deserved to be outed as a supposedly covert CIA operative. King also suggested that the media "be shot" for pursuing the story and identifying White House aide Karl Rove as the then-alleged leaker.

Yeah, he's the kinda politician I like to have in office...

Edited September 12, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[almaty 19]

chopf##ks..just wrong

[cmartyn 0]

Farmers will be like kids in Liquor stores..

Yeah, let me have 2 fifths of Jack, that bowie knife, that AK47 on the wall, a couple hundred rounds of 7.62x39 and a bag of fertilizer.

You got ID for the fertilizer?

[Marc and Olga 0]

On the ABC show last night King DID say he would rather have the watered down version as opposed to NO version.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

On the ABC show last night King DID say he would rather have the watered down version as opposed to NO version.

I understand that, but why did he have to compromise? I'd like to know just what the lobbyists were able to do to get Congressman like King to bend over for them? My hunch is that K Street's influence in the Republican Party, thanks to Tom De Lay has something to do with it - they don't want to bite the hand that feeds them.