THE EVENTS of Sept. 11 came as close to a doomsday scenario as the world has ever seen. Since then, from the average American living room to the typical network newsroom, even more disturbing "what if" situations have become a part of the nation's collective conscience, among them anthrax, smallpox and other coordinated attacks on government buildings or airplanes. In light of this new reality of such ever-looming threats, the White House has taken serious measures to ensure the government's viability should the nation's capitol become the victim of a catastrophic attack.
The plan, however, only includes the fortified presence of members of the executive branch, and herein lies its greatest fault. In excluding Congress - the so-called "people's branch" - the Bush administration sends the wrong message to both the legislative body and American citizens.
The idea that the government has implemented extensive security procedures for high-ranking officials should not shock anyone. Both the White House and Air Force One boast top of the line protection for the president and his aides, and other government agencies such as U.S. Space Command and U.S. Strategic Command already operate secure bases around the clock. The recent efforts undertaken by the White House - in addition to the frequent absence of Vice President Dick Cheney - come in response to apprehension over the possibility of the al Qaeda network obtaining nuclear weapons. So since Sept. 11, the dubbed "shadow government" has operated in complete isolation on the slim chance of devastation to Washington, D.C.
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Congress and the Judiciary branch maintain their own separate contingency plans, though neither rivals the 24 hour vigilance of the executive branch. This distinction weakens the front of a unified government, something that especially would be critical in a time of crisis. While the president and his close aides are perceived as the figureheads of the government, the other two branches, in particular the law creating Congress, play equally important roles in the functioning of the bureaucracy.
The exclusion of Congress from the president's "continuity of government" - abbreviated to insiders as COG - plan raises several constitutional and ideological concerns. Anyone vaguely familiar with the government knows of its underlying principle of checks and balances. Although the likelihood of the government having to flee to a single isolated bunker is remote, should Washington, D.C. become flattened, no one else will be underground with the executive branch to ensure it does not overstep its boundaries, even in a time of disaster.
According to the guidelines for presidential succession delineated in the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, the sequence of those who would take over the presidency in the event that the president becomes incapacitated goes from the vice president to the speaker of the House of Representatives and then to Senate president pro tempore. Rep. Dennis Hastert (R.- Ill.) and Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D.- W.Va.) of the two latter positions both appear to be far too much in the dark for comfort. According to The Washington Post on Mar. 2, Hastert claimed he wasn't sure if he had been informed of the plans, and Byrd stated he had never been told at all.
The recent disclosure of the existence of the executive branch's secure bunker - whether it was the Bush administration's intent or not - sends the wrong idea to the American people. While the voters choose the president and vice president, Congress is completely selected by citizens and more closely represents the diverse constituency of the nation. The majority of those operating in the "shadow government" are high-ranking officials - GS-14 and GS-15 members of the Senior Executive Service - in the executive branch. These people are not subject to voter approval, and the fact that they are the only bureaucrats included in the secure plans eliminates the voice of the people which would be most necessary in a time when their livelihood depends on the government's decisions.
The obvious first step for the Bush administration is to brief congressional leaders, especially those in the line of succession to the presidency. It's apparent that most of these representatives were completely unaware of the "shadow government," and now that the word is out, the media cannot serve as their only source of information. The biggest step for the White House to take, however, is to incorporate the remaining two branches of the government. In order for a true contingent government to exist in a time of crisis, all divisions must have representation.
The government constantly sends both inadvertent and intentional signals to its members and constituents. No stronger messages ever have reached Americans than in the months following Sept. 11, and that of the "shadow government" is no exception. President Bush must make the more than symbolic gesture of bringing Congress and the Judiciary into his secure inner circle.
(Becky Krystal is a Cavalier Dailyassociate editor. She can be reached at bkrystal@cavalierdaily.com.)
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