Executive Power Struggle

Matt Welch | October 25, 2004

The 9/11 Security bill is in full shit-or-get-off-the-pot mode this week, as House and Senate negotiators wrangle and the White House issues various instructions. If there's no deal by Wednesday, that could be the end of it until January.

The main sticking points are interesting; basically there are three squabbles over Executive Branch power, and one about immigration. The Bush Administration (and the House) want to reduce the budgetary and personnel power that the Senate and 9/11 Commission want to give to the proposed new National Security Director. The Senate and the 9/11 Commission want to make the intelligence budget public information, and to set up a review board to at least be able to look at the White House's classification frenzy; Bush and the House say no dice. But the White House and the House are bitterly split over immigration provisions, with Congress insisting on, among other things, a greater ability to deport illegal aliens.