Terrorism

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Senior Democrats Reject Superficial Bush Counterterrorism Plan Before Elections

Rep. Waxman joins senior Democratic members of Congress in rejecting President Bush's decision to roll out a superficial counterterrorism plan directly before midterm elections.

Terrorism Attacks Surge in 2005

New data from the National Counterterrorism Center shows that terrorist attacks have increased exponentially in the three years since the United States invaded Iraq.

Republican Bill Fails to Address 9/11 Commission Recommendations

Rep. Turner, Ranking Member on the Select Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Waxman release an updated analysis that compares the 41 recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission to H.R. 10, the legislation developed by House Republican leadership and passed by the House on October 8.

H.R. 10 Fails to Address 9/11 Commission Recommendations

Rep. Turner, Ranking Member on the Select Committee on Homeland Security, and Rep. Waxman release a new analysis that compares the 41 recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission to H.R. 10, the legislation developed by House Republican leadership being considered tomorrow on the House floor. The analysis finds that the Republican bill fully implements only 11 of the Commission's recommendations and contains over 50 extraneous provisions.

House Bill Fails to Implement 9-11 Commission Recommendations

Rep. Waxman urges a bipartisan effort to pass legislation that would fully implement the recommendations made by the 9-11 Commission, rather than the deeply flawed House bill, drafted by the Republican leadership, that fully implements just 11 of the 41 recommendations in the Commission's report.

Reviewing 9-11 Commission’s Recommendations

At a Government Reform Committee hearing, Rep. Waxman expressed concerns about the fate of the 9-11 Commission’s recommendations.

Data Manipulation Behind Reported Drop in Terrorism

Rep. Waxman criticizes the Patterns of Global Terrorism report for claiming that terrorism reached a record low in 2003 when the underlying data shows that significant terrorist activity was actually at a 20-year high.

Questions on Halliburton Ties to Countries that Sponsor Terrorism

Rep. Waxman asks Defense Secretary Rumsfeld about evidence that Halliburton has profited from business with three nations known for their support of terrorism: Iran, Iraq, and Libya.

Suspected Terrorist Leader Meets with White House Staff

Rep. Waxman writes Secret Service Director Ralph Basham to ask why Sami Al-Arian, a suspected terrorist leader, was allowed to visit the White House complex while at the same time the subject of an FBI investigation. Al-Arian has since been indicted on 50 counts of conspiring to finance terrorist attacks and as serving as a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.

Special-Interest Provisions Buried in Homeland Security Bill

A new minority staff fact sheet summarizes the numerous special-interest provisions buried in the homeland security bill (H.R. 5710) that limit the liability of drug companies, airline carriers, airline security companies, and other manufacturers. Rep. Waxman writes OMB Director Daniels to inquire about the provisions that would change the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in a way that benefits manufacturers Eli Lilly and Dow Chemical, and to HHS Secretary Thompson to call his attention to the provisions that provide liability protection for makers of the smallpox vaccine, yet fail to provide appropriate compensation for those who may be injured by the vaccine.

Rep. Waxman's Floor Statement on the Homeland Security Bill

Speaking on the House floor, Rep. Waxman said that while it is clear that federal departments are not working together as they should to protect our nation, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 has serious flaws and may well cause more problems than it solves.

Luggage Screening Machines Not Used to Full Capacity

In a letter to Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge and Transportation Secretary Mineta, Rep. Waxman and Rep. Oberstar express concern that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been, and continues to be, severely deficient in screening luggage for explosives at our nation’s airports. According to recent data, TSA is using less than 3% of existing explosive detection machines at maximum capacity levels.

Major Deficiencies in Homeland Security Bill

The Government Reform Committee minority staff released a summary of the major deficiencies in the legislation creating a new Department of Homeland Security, as well as other provisions affecting the jurisdiction of the Committee.

Government Reform Committee Markup of H.R. 5005

The Government Reform Committee held a meeting to consider H.R. 5005, the President's proposal for a new Department of Homeland Security. The Committee held a one-day markup in which approximately 50 amendments were offered and 35 were adopted. The reported bill is over 200 pages long, four times the length of H.R. 5005 as introduced.

CBO Estimate: Homeland Security Department Will Cost $3 Billion

In a letter to Majority Leader Armey and Democratic Whip Pelosi, Rep. Waxman released a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate that finds that the creation of a new Department of Homeland Security will cost about $3 billion over the next four years. The CBO estimate counters Administration claims that the creation of the new Department "would not 'grow' government."

Members Raise Questions on Homeland Security Department Proposal Details

Rep. Waxman and Rep. Obey, ranking member on the Appropriations Committee, wrote Director Of Homeland Security Ridge to address ten areas where questions have arisen over the details of the President's Department of Homeland Security proposal. These areas include the lack of a mechanism for coordinating a unified security strategy across the government and the many responsibilities given to the Department that have nothing to do with homeland security.

Committee Members Ask Ridge for Comprehensive Homeland Security Strategy

The minority members of the Committee on Government Reform ask Director of Homeland Security Ridge for a comprehensive national homeland security strategy so that they may gauge whether the Administration's reorganization proposal best serves the nation's security goals.

Ridge Testifies Before the Committee

White House Office of Homeland Security Director Ridge testifies at a Committee hearing on "The Department of Homeland Security: An Overview of the President's Proposal."

GAO Report on Challenges in Postal Irradiation

Rep. Waxman writes Postmaster General Potter and details a new GAO Report that examines the technological premises and logistical hurdles to mail irradiation in the U.S. Postal System.

Members Ask for Ridge Hearing to Be Public

In an letter to Committee Chairman Burton, Rep. Waxman and all seven subcommittee ranking minority members ask that the Committee hold a public hearing with Director of Homeland Security Ridge, instead of the closed members-only briefing now scheduled for April 11.

Respiratory Protection of Postal Workers

Rep. Waxman has written to the Postmaster General about the importance of safety mask 'fit tests' in protecting the respiratory health of Postal workers. A fit test is a simple procedure that assesses whether a mask used for respiratory protection fits properly. On November 15, 2001, after the U.S. Postal Service purchased more than 4 million masks, Rep. Waxman asked the Postmaster General to follow CDC recommendations and provide fit tests to all interested postal workers. In January, 2001, however, the Postal Service responded that it would not provide these important safeguards to employees. On February 7, 2001, Rep. Waxman writes to urge the Postmaster General to reconsider this decision and immediately inform all postal workers of the importance of fit tests.

Items on OMB "Confidential" List Appear Relevant to Terrorism

The Office of Management and Budget has asked the Republican Subcommittee staff of the Government Reform Committee to compile a list that details regulations considered burdensome by lobbyists. On Dec. 10., Reps. Waxman and Tierney sent a letter to Governor Ridge on the regulations on this list that appear to be relevant to efforts to address terrorism.

FDA Must Act Against Web Sites Selling Cipro, Other Antibiotics

Reps. Waxman and Dingell sent a letter to Secretary Thompson urging FDA to take action against web sites that sell Cipro and other antibiotics at inflated prices without valid prescriptions.

Improving Mail Safety

Rep. Waxman and other members have recently sent a series of letters to the Postmaster General and other officials on steps to improve mail safety.

The Biological Weapons Convention: Rethinking Our Priorities After September 11

Rep. Waxman held a Special Investigations Briefing to discuss the value of mandatory inspections under the Biological Weapons Convention, particularly in the context of the September 11 terrorist attacks and the recent anthrax attacks.

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