IF THE words "congressional accountability" make you laugh in disgust, you surely aren't alone. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla. was caught writing sexually explicit instant messages to congressional pages late last month and therefore resigned in disgrace. Even worse is the fact that many congressional Republicans, perhaps even House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., knew about the scandal for over three years and did not hold Foley accountable for his actions.
What does this issue have to do with homeland security? In nearly every major recent political matter -- including its handling of Foley's exploits --the current Congress has demonstrated that Foley's cover-up is more important than creating clearly defined goals to defend our country. At this point, only a major shift in power can reform the negligence and lack of attention for strengthening all departments in the department of homeland security. All Americans must support anti-incumbent candidates who will better support homeland security funding and responsibility.
On one of the most important security issues on the election -- immigration -- the current Congress failed to produce rational legislation. After months of arguing to pass an inefficient immigration law emphasizing an enforcement-only approach, Congress passed a bill mandating a 700-mile fence between the United States and Mexico. According to U.S. News and World Report, however, Congress appropriated the Department of Homeland Security with only enough funding to construct a measly 370 miles of fence, barely enough to affect immigration other than making travel more dangerous for crossing illegal immigrants. More importantly, Congress passed absolutely no measure on how to actually treat current illegal immigrants in the United States. Will there be a guest worker program, or even any grants for amnesty? Will illegal immigrants be deported? Sadly, the only thing Congress has been accountable for on the issue is lip service. The longer Congress takes to address the matter, the longer illegal immigrants will be in limbo. Additionally, the longer Congress waits on legislation, the worse potential there will be for dangerous immigrants to cross the border.
Additionally, on the similar note of homeland security funding, the current Congress has not put its full effort into securing the country.A new Congress would also redistribute homeland security funding towards major cities as opposed to more rural areas, where terrorism is a much more significant threat. The current Congress is certainly giving funding to the Department of Homeland Security, but it is not being accountable in prioritizing where that funding is going. For instance, Congress recently removed $4.5 billion in appropriations for mass transit security, according to the Boston Globe. However, less populated areas received stronger funding not proportional to their threat level -- for instance, Wyoming received $37.74 per capita in anti-terrorism funding while California and New York received under $5.50, according to the Washington Times.
Even in terms of its fundamental job on protecting the country by acting as a check to flaws in accountability by the administrative branch and holding it responsible to its actions, the current Congress has failed miserably. For instance, even though Katrina demonstrated to Congress that a provision requiring an experienced Federal Emergency Management Agency chief was needed in a recent homeland security bill, Bush added a signing statement that ignores many of the key provisions in the bill for a competent FEMA director, according to The Washington Post. Such brazen abuse of homeland security legislation has effectively rendering the legislative branch impotent, and most congressional Republicans have failed to address Bush's abuse of power, rarely investigating or even addressing the administration's signing statements. If Congress doesn't start investigating and reprimanding the president's lack of accountability in FEMA staffing, then voters must elect a Congress that will.
Sadly, the worst fiascos in Congress are the ones that can result in acts of terrorism and weak government response to natural disasters. Even if incumbents reframe their message outside of the Foley scandal, there is no major domestic issue they can fall back on, from immigration to homeland security and anti-terrorism. The current Congress has become complacent to our security interests -- it's time to ruffle some feathers until it becomes accountable.
Adam Silverberg's column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at asilverberg@cavalierdaily.com.
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