Day One of the 110th Congress

Yesterday and the next 99 days will be remarkable in the fact that important legislation stalled by the republicans will get a vote and will pass.
The first major piece of legislation was the "Implementing the 9/11Commission Recommendations Act." For three years the republicans had no problem funding Bush's misadventures in Iraq but could not bring about implementing the recommendations from the 9/11 Commission Report.
King as chairman along with his fellow republicans defeated any Democratic attempt to increase funding and expand homeland security and even lied about it.
What did King have to say about Democrats' plans for the first 100 days?
In Newsday he says "To make it part of a 100-hour show shamefully trivializes an issue of life or death,"
"I don't want to give the American people a false sense of security that in one afternoon of debate we're going to satisfy all the homeland security issues facing America... Or to let them believe that nothing's been done until now. ... Homeland security is far too important an issue to play politics with."

In the Christian Science Monitor he says "In only their first few days in the majority, House Democratic leadership has already fallen short on the key security promise they made to the American people... Republicans have already enacted an overwhelming majority of the recommendations, and the opening of the 110th Congress was a terrific opportunity to finish the job. Unfortunately, it is amounting to nothing more than a missed opportunity."

So King voted against the "Implementing the 9/11Commission Recommendations Act," right?
Actually he voted for it. He was 1 of 68 republicans who voted yes.
It would seem keeping up appearances as a staunch Homeland Security supporter trumps his own feelings on the bill.

And what did King say after voting 'Yes'?
"...the measure "gives false hope to the American people" because technology for scanning all cargo containers is not yet available."

So why did he vote for it?
King tells Newsday he voted for it "because I want to send a bipartisan message."
Not to protect the country then?

9/11 Commission member Tim Roehmer points out that during Kings tenure as Chairman, none of the recommendations passed "The 108th Congress passed half of the 9/11 commission reforms. The 109th Congress did nothing. The 110th Congress seeks to finish the job and pass all the remaining reforms,"

Rep. Jim Moran adds "The fact is that the bipartisan 9/11 commission gave the last Congress F's and D's in implementing its recommendations,"

King and the republican congress failed to fulfill its obligation to protect this country and the Democrats intend to see that we are protected.