Partisan fissures continue to stall homeland authorization bill

Following the Sept. 11 Commission's recommendation that Congress reorganize itself to have one permanent panel overseeing homeland security issues, partisan differences have blocked a temporary House panel from making progress on homeland security bills.

House Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox, R-Calif., on Monday responded publicly to a letter from ranking Democrat Jim Turner of Texas sent last week through the press.

"As I see it, you have chosen to sacrifice a commendable bipartisan product for a political 'bridge too far,'" wrote Cox about Turner's letter, which said Cox's plan to mark up only part of the panel's first authorization measure "unacceptable."

Cox wanted to mark up the titles that enjoyed bipartisanship before the August break. But Turner accused Republicans of avoiding "debate and votes on key homeland security issues."

House leaders must decide in January whether to make Cox's temporary select panel permanent.

Both Cox and Turner on Monday expressed the need to mark up the measure when Congress returns this fall.