Senator Carnahan (D-MO) Says Bush is on 3-Week Fundraising Binge While Homeland Security Legislation Languishes 19-Oct-02 Homeland Security
"While Bush embarks on a three-week-long fundraising and campaigning binge, Senator Daschle is keeping the United States Senate in overtime to get Homeland Security legislation passed. 'Unfortunately, devotion to a right-wing ideology and a grasp for political advantage are standing in the way of passing the Homeland Security bill. Republicans have voted five times to support the right-wing's filibuster of Homeland Security and deny an up or down vote on this legislation. The fact is that if the Senate Republicans would allow the Senate to vote on the Homeland Security bill, it would pass today. 'Congressman Armey's focus on this issue is clear. It was Democrats who proposed a Homeland Security Department over a year ago, and the Bush White House that opposed this effort for more than eight months. It was not until this summer, under pressure from the public, that the White House finally reversed its stance and agreed to support the creation of a Homeland Security Department."
from Democrats.com (http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Homeland%20Security) - I use these guys quite frequently to find out Democrat policy history. Bush got a lot of political flak for initially opposing creation of the cabinet-level department. He caved to public pressure, as usual.
Bush did not originally want Homeland Security Dept.
19-Oct-02
Homeland Security
"While Bush embarks on a three-week-long fundraising and campaigning binge, Senator Daschle is keeping the United States Senate in overtime to get Homeland Security legislation passed. 'Unfortunately, devotion to a right-wing ideology and a grasp for political advantage are standing in the way of passing the Homeland Security bill. Republicans have voted five times to support the right-wing's filibuster of Homeland Security and deny an up or down vote on this legislation. The fact is that if the Senate Republicans would allow the Senate to vote on the Homeland Security bill, it would pass today. 'Congressman Armey's focus on this issue is clear. It was Democrats who proposed a Homeland Security Department over a year ago, and the Bush White House that opposed this effort for more than eight months. It was not until this summer, under pressure from the public, that the White House finally reversed its stance and agreed to support the creation of a Homeland Security Department."
from Democrats.com (http://archive.democrats.com/preview.cfm?term=Homeland%20Security) - I use these guys quite frequently to find out Democrat policy history. Bush got a lot of political flak for initially opposing creation of the cabinet-level department. He caved to public pressure, as usual.