From devastating hurricanes and natural disasters to terrorism and breaches in cyber security, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s job is to protect the homeland from all manner of threats and keep Americans safe.
The department was created in the aftermath of 9/11, when Islamic terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans in coordinated attacks on New York, Washington, D.C., and in the sky over Pennsylvania.
Few remember that U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) voted in 2002 against the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Instead, Brown proposed the establishment of a U.S. Department of Peace, co-sponsoring a bill to create such an agency and voting for it three times. [See here in 2005, here in 2003, and here in 2001.]
His opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Congressman Jim Renacci, thinks this voting record is evidence of Brown being “out of touch” with the safety concerns of average Americans in a post-9/11 world where threats abound, not only from terrorists but from rogue governments and state actors like North Korea and Iran.
“Any human with a shred of decency hopes for a safer future,” said Renacci spokeswoman Brittany Martinez. “But liberal politician Sherrod Brown’s support for a Department of Peace and vote against the Department of Homeland Security shows yet again how out of touch with reality he is. As he pretends to live in a world of nonviolence, while also voting against measures to improve our national security and defense, the DHS is working 24/7 to thwart domestic acts of terrorism, no thanks to him.”
But Brown’s history of voting against national defense doesn’t stop there. He has a special aversion to missile-defense programs dating back to 1999. [See reference citations below].
- In March 1999, Brown voted against the National Missile Defense System. (H.R. 4, Roll Call Vote #59: Bill Passed 317-105, 3/18/99, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17)
- In May 2006, Brown voted to limit and halt the deployment of certain missile defense systems and bar the use of funds for any boost-phase missile defense system. (H. Amdt. 819 To H.R. 5122, Roll Call Vote #142: Amendment Rejected 124-301, 5/11/06, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17)
- In June 1996, Brown voted to prohibit national missile defense funds from procuring space-based interceptors or space-based directed-energy weapons. (H. Amdt. 1167 To H.R. 3610, Roll Call Vote #246: Amendment Failed 190-208, 6/13/96, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17)
- Brown voted to cut funding for ballistic missile defense program at least 11 times. (H. Amdt. 67 To H. Con. Res. 95,Roll Call Vote #85: Amendment Rejected 134-292, 3/17/05, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. 487 To H. Con. Res. 393, Roll Call Vote #88: Amendment Failed 119-302, 3/25/04, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. 475 To H.R. 4546, Roll Call Vote #145: Failed 159-253, 5/9/02, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H.R. 4546, Roll Call Vote #157: Motion Rejected 193-223, 5/10/02, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. To H.R. 5010, Roll Call Vote #269: Amendment Failed 112-314, 6/27/02, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/19/17) (Motion To Recommit With Instructions To H.R. 3230, Roll Call Vote #173: Amendment Failed 185-240, 5/15/96, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (Motion To Recommit With Instructions To H.R. 1530, Roll Call Vote #384: Motion Rejected 188-239, 6/15/95, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. 555 T0 H.R. 4301, Roll Call Vote #179: Amendment Rejected 155-271, 5/18/94, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. 417 To H.R. 3400, Roll Call Vote #610: Amendment Failed 184-248, 10/22/93, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. 284 To H.R. 2401, Roll Call Vote #414: Amendment Failed 202-207, 9/8/93, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H. Amdt. 282 To H.R. 2401, Roll Call Vote #412: Amendment Failed 160-272, 9/8/93, Brown Voted Yea; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17)
- Brown voted six times against spending bills for missile defense. (H.R. 5010, Roll Call Vote #270: Bill Passed 413-18, 6/27/02, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H.R. 4546, Roll Call Vote #158: Passed 359-58, 5/10/02, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (S. 1438, Roll Call Vote #496: Conference Report Adopted 382-40, 12/31/01, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H.R. 3338, Roll Call Vote #458: Passed 406-20, 11/28/01, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H.R. 4576, Roll Call Vote #413: Conference Report Agreed To 367-58, 7/19/00, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17) (H.R. 4576, Roll Call Vote #241: Passed 367-58, 6/7/00, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary Accessed 4/13/17).
Sherrod Brown supported Iran deal, opposed rebuke of N. Korea terror
- In August 2015, Brown announced his support for Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal. (Sen. Sherrod Brown, “Brown Announces Support For Iran Nuclear Agreement,” Press Release, 8/14/15)
- In September 2015, Brown voted three times against cloture on a resolution to disapprove the Iran deal. (S. Amdt. 2640 To H.J. Res. 61, Roll Call Vote #267: Cloture Motion Rejected 56-42, 9/17/15, Brown Voted Nay) (S. Amdt. 2640 To H.J. Res. 61, Roll Call Vote #265: Cloture Motion Rejected 56-42, 9/15/15, Brown Voted Nay) (S. Amdt. 2640 To H.J.Res. 61, Roll Call Vote #264: Cloture Motion Rejected 58-42, 9/10/15, Brown Voted Nay)
- In July 2009, Brown voted against an amendment asking the U.S. State Department to designate North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism. (S. Amdt. 1597 To S. 1390, Roll Call Vote #239: Amendment Rejected 43-54, 7/22/09, Brown Voted Nay; CQ Summary, Accessed 4/10/17)
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Anthony Accardi is a writer and reporter for The Ohio Star.
