Homeland Security? We'll talk forever but we won't do anything real about it.

Keeping Us Safe
by mcjoan
Thu Mar 16, 2006 at 08:34:51 PM PDT

While the New McCarthyites scream about Russ Feingold aiding the terrorists and endangering national security by pointing out that Bush broke the law (and having the temerity to actually try to do something about it), some of their own actually ARE damaging national security. House Republicans today blocked funding for port security and disaster preparedness. From Think Progress:

The Sabo amendment included:
- $300 million to enable U.S. customs agents to inspect high-risk containers at all 140 overseas ports that ship directly to the United States. Current funding only allows U.S. customs agents to operate at 43 of these ports.
- $400 million to place radiation monitors at all U.S. ports of entry. Currently, less than half of U.S. ports have radiation monitors.
- $300 million to provide backup emergency communications equipment for the Gulf Coast.
Meanwhile, the Bush budget - which most of the members who voted against this bill will likely support - contains an increase of $1.7 billion for missile defense, a program that doesn't even work.

Update [2006-3-16 22:57:6 by mcjoan]: georgia10 adds this:

Lieberman Amdt No. 3034; To protect the American people from terrorist attacks by providing $8 billion in additional funds for homeland security government-wide, by restoring cuts to vital first responder programs in the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, by providing an additional $1.2 billion for first responders, $1.7 billion for the Coast Guard and port security, $150 million for chemical security, $1 billion for rail and transit security, $456 million for FEMA, $1 billion for health preparedness programs, and $752 million for aviation security.

REJECTED by Republicans.

Menendez Amdt. No. 3054; To provide an additional $965 million to make our ports more secure by increasing port security grants, increasing inspections, improving existing programs, and increasing research and development, and to fully offset this additional funding by closing tax loopholes.

REJECTED by Republicans.

Stabenow Amdt. No. 3056; To provide $5 billion for our emergency responders so that they can field effective and reliable interoperable communications equipment to respond to natural disasters, terrorist attacks and the public safety needs of America's communities and fully offset this by closing tax loopholes and collecting more from the tax gap.

REJECTED by Republicans.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_109_2.htm


And remember all the recent brouhaha about KBR providing contaminated water to the troops? Well, I knew it was old "news" and here's my proof from two years ago today! [Remember, KBR was formerly a subsidiary of Halliburton. And Dick Cheney is the former CEO of Halliburton who still owns oodles of Halliburton stock and gets richer as Halliburton makes money.]

Halliburton didn't protect water supply for US soldiers
by Joe in DC - 3/16/2006 07:34:00 PM
Cheney's old colleagues really are bastards:
Halliburton Co. failed to protect the water supply it is paid to purify for U.S. soldiers throughout Iraq, in one instance missing contamination that could have caused "mass sickness or death," an internal company report concluded.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press, said the company failed to assemble and use its own water purification equipment, allowing contaminated water directly from the Euphrates River to be used for washing and laundry at Camp Ar Ramadi in Ramadi, Iraq.
Shouldn't someone go to jail for endangering the lives of our troops?

Oh yeah, that would be the president.

Republicans = incompetence.
Permanent Link

Here's the recent stuff [Associated Press article in the Toronto Star]:

WASHINGTON–An internal Pentagon report obtained by The Associated Press concludes dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq have become sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water.

The Pentagon's inspector general found water quality problems between 2004 and 2006 at two locations run by the U.S. military and three sites run by contractor KBR.

The problems affected water used for washing, bathing, shaving and cleaning, but not for drinking.

The report says the water was smelly and discoloured and left soldiers with a number of skin ailments and intestinal problems.

In a statement, KBR says its water treatment has met or exceeded all applicable military and contract standards.

KBR is a former subsidiary of Halliburton, the company once headed by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

Think Progress followed up when the Pentagon made light of it:

On Sunday, the AP reported that contractor KBR has been providing “unmonitored and potentially unsafe” water to U.S. troops in Iraq. According to a Pentagon Inspector General’s report, dozens of soldiers fell sick, suffering “skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses” after using the “discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry.”

In a press briefing on Monday, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell dismissed KBR’s gross negligence. He responded by joking about how everyone knows the water in Iraq is unsafe, and advised everyone to avoid drinking it:

--the BB