WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | White House blames Congress for pace of anti-terror efforts

White House blames Congress for pace of anti-terror efforts

(Washington-AP) December 5, 2005 - The Bush administration is defending its anti-terror efforts and blaming Congress for any deficiencies.

White House counselor Dan Bartlett is responding to a report from former members of the 9/11 commission. The panel says the government deserves "more F's than A's" in adopting the commission's recommendations to better guard the country.

Bartlett tells ABC that lawmakers on Capitol Hill spend homeland security money "based on old models, pre-9/11 models."

He told CBS the administration has acted on about 70 of the panel's recommendations while others wait for congressional action, and he declared on NBC "we're not resting on our laurels."

He says the administration will keep working to make the US safe. Panel Vice Chairman Lee Hamilton says with the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and against militants, it's "awfully hard to keep people focused."

Posted 9:22am by Bryce Mursch