Democrats, White House clash on homeland security

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives defied a White House veto threat on Wednesday, voting to increase job protections at the Department of Homeland Security and provide the agency with $2.1 billion more than President George W. Bush requested.

On a vote of 296-126, the House topped the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a presidential veto, and sent the measure to the Senate for consideration.

"This bill sends a message to the president -- America's security cannot be done on the cheap," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (news, bio, voting record), a Mississippi Democrat and chief sponsor of the bill.

Republicans voiced outrage that before approving the bill Democrats removed or weakened a dozen provisions which had been approved unanimously by the Homeland Security Committee in March.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070509/pl_nm/usa_congress_security_dc