Washington ? Despite creating a Homeland Security Department and spending $10 billion to screen airline passengers and secure the nation’s airports, the Bush administration hasn’t done enough to protect the nation against the threat of terrorism, Democrats maintain.

Minority Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee make the charges in a scathing report, which was released Friday.

The report lists a dozen areas where Democrats say the administration has failed to adequately address weaknesses that terrorists could exploit more than two years after the suicide hijackings of Sept. 11, 2001.

Texas Rep. Jim Turner, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, told reporters Friday it was unclear how much the government must spend to resolve the problems identified in the report.

“The real question we must ask when we talk about funding a stronger homeland defense is, what is the cost of failure?” Turner said. “The threat to lives, the threat of a catastrophic attack would be unthinkable.”

The Homeland Security Department said the report “woefully ignores” what has been accomplished thus far.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan cited a number of steps taken: waging the global war on terrorism, creating the Homeland Security Department, giving new resources to first responders and port security, tightening borders, improving aviation security through professional screeners, air marshals and reinforced cockpit doors, raising alert levels, and inaugurating a program to photograph and scan the fingerprints of foreigners from many countries arriving at U.S. airports.

“Our country is much safer today than it was on September the 11th,” he said. “We are doing everything we can to protect the American people … but there is much that remains to be done.”

The 16-page document — “America at Risk: The State of Homeland Security” — culls information from the Pentagon, congressional investigators and other sources, summarizing dangers to U.S. cities, borders, ports and airways. Taken together, the information shows the administration hasn’t provided the leadership necessary to handle the country’s domestic security needs, Democrats say.

“In conducting oversight for almost a year now, our committee members are deeply concerned that our government is not taking strong and swift enough action to protect the homeland,” Turner said.

The report comes four days before President Bush’s annual State of the Union, even more important this year given the November election.

According to the report:

• The Transportation Security Administration has spent more than $10 billion to screen baggage and passengers since November 2001, yet there are numerous reports of dangerous items clearing security. Homeland Security spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said that figure included a host of expenses, including training a federal screening work force, purchasing explosive detection technology and deploying air marshals.
• Al-Qaida and other groups are believed to possess thousands of shoulder-fired missiles, but U.S. commercial airplanes have no defense against the weapons.
• The Pentagon’s Defense Science Board says that at least 56 new countermeasures are needed to protect against the 19 bioterrorism agents. Democrats say little progress has been made and the government is failing to sufficiently address the threat.