This is House budget week, and with it comes the strong possibility that Republican leaders will bow to the demands of their die-hards and try to alter the deal reached in the Budget Control Act last year that ended the impasse on the debt limit and set caps on discretionary domestic and defense spending.

One would think that lawmakers might want to refrain from nakedly self-centered activities for the sake of Americans' security. Wrong.

President Bush deserves enormous credit for his proposal to create a new Department of Homeland Security.

In many ways, the most interesting dynamic right now is that surrounding Speaker John Boehner, who has in the past been a first-rate legislator, knows how the legislative process works and knows the risks of a shutdown--to the economy and to his party--are high.

Finding the money to protect the homeland, given ballooning deficits and rising demands in defense and entitlements, will be tough--but necessary.

Congress will need to work extra hard to complete its statutory business and confront the Bush administration on spending.

Almost 1,200days after 9/11, what hasCongress done to deal with its own vulnerability to terrorists?

The idea of a Department of Homeland Security is a compelling one, but that does not answer the question of whether the massive relocation of agencies is the best one.