The U.S. House has passed a bill that would implement many of the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission. Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell, a democrat, voted for the bill, but says it’s hard to rate which recommendations are most important.
Boswell says border protection is "a very important thing." He says seeing what’s coming into the country in the containers coming into our ports is kind of a "wow." Boswell says we need to know what’s in those containers, and what is in the holds of the airplanes we fly on. Boswell, is on the House Intelligence Committee, and says the cost of inspecting all the containers is going to be an issue.
Boswell says it is a factor, "But where do you draw the line on cost when it comes to public safety?" Boswell says the cost of doing nothing could be worse is something dangerous comes into a major U.S. population center.
The 9-11 recommendations are part of a package being pushed by Democrats who’re now in the majority. Another is an increase in the minimum wage. Boswell says he fully supports the wage increase.
Boswell says it’s long overdue, as Boswell says it has been ten years since the wage was increased, but with inflation he says that equates to 50 years. Boswell says increasing the minimum wage is "long overdue." Boswell says he’s not sure how the issue will fair in the Senate.