Price steered bill past obstacles

WASHINGTON -- The $42.8 billion Homeland Security spending bill that President Barack Obama signed into law last week has its roots in the office of U.S. Rep. David Price.

For the first time since taking over the homeland security subcommittee nearly three years ago, Price had a president who was more or less aligned with his priorities on protecting the country.

But the bill's passage stumbled through the type of drama that can often envelop Capitol Hill - last-minute political maneuvers along with closed-door meetings, quiet arm-twisting and flying accusations.

"This was an unnecessary and unwelcome intrusion of Republican electoral politics - gamesmanship you might say - into an otherwise cooperative process," Price said in an interview.

Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, took over the Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on homeland security in 2007, just after his party won the majority in the House. It meant that for two years, he had responsibility for writing and passing the bill - but he had to work with (and sometimes against) a Republican presidential administration.

One year, the spending bill got wrapped into a large appropriations package. In the other year, the bill never passed because Congress instead passed a resolution to keep funding the federal government on a temporary basis.

That changed this year. Price said he first met U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano last spring. They talked about priorities on immigration, port security and protection against natural disasters.

Price said that didn't mean Obama got everything he wanted. The committee told the department to hold off on building a new headquarters, for example.

Price said he was surprised in a committee meeting when Republicans put in an amendment that would have prohibited Guantanamo Bay detainees from being released or resettled on U.S. soil. The Homeland Security bill doesn't pay for Guantanamo Bay.

Price agreed to accept the amendment, with one exception: Detainees could be brought to U.S. soil in order to be prosecuted.

Then, during debate on the House floor, another procedural move came up. This one included the prohibition on transferring detainees to be prosecuted.

Republicans knew, Price said, that many Democrats in tough districts would have trouble casting a vote that would allow detainees on U.S. soil for any reason.

"The goal was to embarrass the president and embarrass us and divide Democrats," Price said.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, the ranking Republican on Price's subcommittee, said in a statement Friday that he wanted to give a "wake-up call" to the White House about the safety of Americans and military personnel as the Obama administration develops a plan on Guantanamo Bay's closing.

"Continued stonewalling prompted my efforts," Rogers said.

Price and Democratic leaders thought the prohibition was unacceptable. Accused terrorists must be prosecuted, Price said, in order for the United States to seek justice.

Republicans argued against it, warning of the dangers to Americans of having accused terrorists live - even in prison - in the United States.

In the end, the House voted 224-193 to let suspected enemy combatants be brought to the United States for prosecution. But 25 Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, crossed the aisle.

"We'll live to fight another day," Price said. "But I'd like to think in the future there'd be some greater respect shown for bipartisan processes where they exist here."

Price said he's pleased with the bill that passed. He said it has greater emphasis on first responders and port security.

"I think we've shaped policy in positive ways," Price said.

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