Bipartisan Group of Senators want to force vote on Dubai port deal

[kpete]

SF Chronicle

Senators want to force vote on Dubai port deal
Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post

Saturday, February 25, 2006


But a bipartisan group of senators, who had dismissed the Arab maritime company's offer late Thursday as meaningless, said Friday that they will try to force a vote early next week on legislation that would require a 45-day national security investigation of the deal.

Senators from all points of the political spectrum -- including Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Norm Coleman, R-Minn., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jack Reed, D-R.I. -- said they will push for a fast vote on legislation that would block the takeover of port operations while the Bush administration conducts a national security review of the transaction's implications.

The secretaries of the Homeland Security and the Treasury departments would have to brief members of Congress on their findings, and Congress would have the authority to reject the deal.

"A brief period for the company to continue lobbying without the full 45-day investigation that should have been done from the beginning is simply not enough," Schumer said. "If the president were to voluntarily institute the investigation and delay the contract, that would be a good step. But a simple cooling-off period will not allay our very serious concerns about this dubious deal."

GOP leadership aides said they are not certain lawmakers can avert a showdown between Congress and the White House.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/02/25/MNGF6HEPTB1.DTL&feed=rss.news

[mikehiggins]

1. How come I don't see Jomentum's name on that list? n/t

[annabanana]

2. Coburn?, really?

I'm surprised... I guess I had him figured for more of a Bushbot and less of a fearmonger,... My My what you learn when the rubber meets the road.

[mom cat]

3. "while the Bush administration conducts a national security review "

Why am I not comforted? The fox investigating the henhouse breakin.