Congress passes 9/11 security measures

07/29/2007

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House Friday approved security legislation implementing many of the recommendations of the 9/11 commission.

The vote for passage was 371-40. The Senate passed the bill Thursday by an 85-8 vote, so Friday’s action means the measure goes to President Bush’s desk for his signature.

“With this bill, we will be keeping our promises to the families of 9/11,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. “We’ll be honoring the work of the 9/11 commission and we will be making the American people safer.”

Among the homeland security measures included in the bill are:

– Providing $1.6 billion for emergency first responder communication
– Improving information sharing between local, state and federal law enforcement
– Allocating $250 million annually for enhanced screening at airports
– Requiring 100 percent cargo screening within three years
– Creating a Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board

Despite the broad bipartisan support, critics of the bill say it does not provide the right for airport screeners to unionize and that some of the rules are impractical, such as requiring all maritime cargo in three years to go through security screening.

“This proposal is simply not practical because of the huge volume, some 11 million containers per year coming into our seaports,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Despite her criticism, Collins voted for the bill.