Dems deep-six the King Amendment

Frank Gaffney, Jr. July 20, 2007
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Coming soon to an airport near you.
Incredibly, Democratic members of Congress yesterday first used a backroom conference committee and then actually voted in the U.S. Senate to allow alert, public-spirited Americans to be subjected to harassing and potentially devastatingly expensive lawsuits for helping law-enforcement authorities counter possible terrorist activities by reporting suspicious behavior.  From now on, every admonition along the line of “If you see something, say something” will have to have the warning label: “If you do, you could be sued.”


(See a sample poster along these lines at Michelle Malkins blog, https://michellemalkin.com/2007/07/19/dont-let-the-dems-kill-the-john-doe-amendment/)


[More]Dangerous Malfeasance


It is hard to imagine a more insane policy for a nation at war against Islamofascist enemies that have proven themselves both willing and able to use surreptitious means to attack our open, highly vulnerable society and its infrastructure.   It is particularly outrageous that the immediate beneficiary of this malfeasance is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) b an organization recently identified as a Muslim Brotherhood front group and an un-indicted co-conspirator in a terrorism-financing conspiracy in this country.  


After all, it was CAIR’s declared intention to sue so-called “John Does” b as-yet unidentified passengers on the USAir flight last November who reported the suspicious (if not deliberately provocative) behavior of six Muslim imams b that precipitated the amendment offered in May to a railroad security bill by Rep. Peter King, the ranking minority member of the House Homeland Security Committee.  It was the King amendment that was rejected by conferees on the so-called “9/11 bill” yesterday.  


Subsequently, Senator Susan Collins, Rep. King’s counterpart in the Senate, offered a similar provision affording limited-liability protection to terrorist-tipsters as an amendment to the then-pending education bill. On a procedural motion, the 39 Democrats who voted to prevent its adoption were successful.  Despite the 57 bipartisan votes the Collins amendment garnered, proponents were three votes short of the 60 required.


The Bottom Line


It is unclear at this writing exactly where things stand.  Senator Joe Lieberman b a supporter of the King-Collins legislation and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee b indicated yesterday in the conference committee that he wants to “work with” Rep. King on his amendment.  Whether that will happen in the course of staff efforts to finalize language for the so-called “9/11 bill” conference report or under other circumstances remains to be seen.


What is certain is that an outcome which leaves Americans who do their part for the common defense vulnerable to litigation by Islamist front organizations and their fellow-travelers is totally unacceptable.  Such suits have the effect b and, given the nature of the litigants, are seemingly intended b to suppress what is, arguably, the most important force-multiplier available for homeland security: voluntary action by responsible citizens.  Such action must continue to be fully encouraged, not effectively precluded by making it something we engage in at our peril.


In particular, the Democratic leadership of the House and Senate, Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter of the Judiciary Committee and Rep. Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee need to hear from all of us today: Enact the King amendment and help the American people be part of the solution to the threat terrorists pose on the homefront of the War for the Free World.

Frank Gaffney, Jr.
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Frank Gaffney, Jr.

Founder and Executive Chairman

Frank J. Gaffney is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C., a not-for-profit, non-partisan educational corporation established in 1988. Under Mr. Gaffney’s leadership, the Center has been nationally and internationally recognized as a resource for timely, informed and penetrating analyses of foreign and defense policy matters.

Mr. Gaffney is the host of Secure Freedom Radio, a nationally-syndicated radio program heard weeknights throughout the country. He is an associate author of highly acclaimed Shariah: The Threat to America and the publisher of over a dozen other books and monographs from the Center for Security Policy Press.

In April 1987, Mr. Gaffney was nominated by President Reagan to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, the senior position in the Defense Department with responsibility for policies involving U.S.-USSR relations, nuclear forces, arms control, missile defense policy and U.S.-European defense ties. He acted in that capacity for seven months during which time, he was the Chairman of the prestigious High Level Group, NATO’s senior politico-military committee. He also represented the Secretary of Defense in key U.S.-Soviet negotiations and ministerial meetings.

From August 1983 until November 1987, Mr. Gaffney was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy under Assistant Secretary Richard Perle.

From February 1981 to August 1983, Mr. Gaffney was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by the late Senator John Tower (R-Texas). And, in the latter 1970’s, Mr. Gaffney served as an aide to the late Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson (D-Washington) in the areas of defense and foreign policy.

Mr. Gaffney holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Mr. Gaffney’s leadership has been recognized by numerous organizations including: the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award (1987), the U.S. Business and Industry Council’s Defender of the National Interest Award (1994), the Navy League of the United States’ Alfred Thayer Mahan Literary Achievement Award (1999), and the Zionist Organization of America’s “Louis Brandeis Award” (2003), the Western Conservative Summit’s Stephen H. Long Award (2015), the Council for National Policy’s George Washington Military Leadership Award (2016) and the IMPACT Award from Ginni Thomas and United in Purpose (2017).

Mr. Gaffney was born in 1953 and resides in the Washington, D.C. area.

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