Senate GOP Blocks Independent Katrina Probe

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bid for an independent commission to investigate the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, voting instead to create a joint congressional committee that the GOP majority will control.

The 54-44 vote fell almost entirely along party lines. Democrats had pressed for a commission modeled on the panel that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks — a bipartisan body with subpoena power and equal representation.

"After the worst natural disaster in our history, the American people deserve an independent, unbiased investigation," said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. "Not an investigation the majority party controls."

Republicans countered that Congress is fully capable of investigating itself and that a commission would duplicate the work of inspectors general and the FBI. "We should not abdicate our responsibility to a commission," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who will co-chair the joint committee with a House counterpart.

The joint panel will include lawmakers from both chambers and both parties, but with a majority of Republicans, and is charged with reporting on the preparation for and response to the storm by Feb. 15.

Democrats said they may refuse to appoint their members, recalling their boycott of earlier closed-door briefings they called partisan. "A stacked committee is worse than none," a Democratic leadership aide said.

The fight over who investigates has unfolded while the Federal Emergency Management Agency's former chief, Michael Brown, defends himself in Washington after resigning Monday — and as President Bush accepts responsibility for the federal failures and pledges a massive rebuilding effort.

Administration officials say they welcome congressional review. "We will cooperate fully with whatever body Congress establishes," a White House spokeswoman said.

Separately, the Senate has already begun oversight hearings on disaster readiness, with more scheduled in the coming weeks.