Hours after taking control of Congress, House Democrats disclosed a plan they said would strengthen homeland security after five years of complaining that Republicans weren't doing enough.

Democrats say their legislation bill would implement the unfinished 9/11 Commission recommendations that fall under the Homeland Security Committee's jurisdiction.

The bill would require private companies to prepare for terrorism and the government would have to inspect cargo on passenger planes and shipping containers leaving the largest ports. Airport screeners would be given whistle-blower protection, money would be set aside to develop technology for detecting explosives at checkpoints and an appeals process would be established for airline passengers mistaken for terrorists on watch lists.

Democrats have said the Republican-controlled Congress didn't implement the commission's 41 recommendations aimed at improving safety after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The commission itself met a year ago to hand out failing grades to the government, giving an "F," for example, to improving airline passenger screening and homeland security spending for cities considered most at risk of attack.

The bill will be debated and voted on Tuesday - without going through the committee process - as part of the Democrats' "100 hours" plan to quickly accomplish their priorities.

Republicans objected to the speed with which the Democrats are moving.

New York Rep. Peter King, ranking Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter Tuesday to committee chairman and lead sponsor of the bill, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. In it, King said that bypassing the committee would contradict an "open, full and fair debate" promised by incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.