**DONOTDELETE**
09-13-2001, 04:37 PM
USA: UPDATE 2-U.S. Congress vows to step up war on terror. By Adam Entous
09/13/2001
Reuters English News Service
(C) Reuters Limited 2001.
WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The White House and congressional leaders neared agreement on Thursday on a bipartisan "resolution of resolve" to back potential anti-terrorist military strikes by President George W. Bush.
"We want to give him the tools that he needs and the administration needs to deal with this problem," House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri told reporters.
Such resolution could be brought to the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate for approval as early as Friday, provided an agreement can be reached on language, Democratic and Republican aides said.
The initial resolution offered by the White House and Republicans was seen by Democrats as too vague and broad, two top Democratic leadership aides said.
Bush already has the power to authorize limited military action in retaliation for the terrorists attacks on Tuesday against New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon outside of Washington in Virginia.
But House aides said the resolution would demonstrate and underscore congressional support and provide the president with the still-to-be agreed upon broader power.
They said it would also be in place of a formal declaration of war , which one lawmaker, Rep. Bob Barr, a Georgia Republican, planned to introduce later on Thursday.
SEEKS CONSENSUS
"We are going to find a consensus and move on this," said Greg Crist, a spokesman for House Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas.
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said there may be an agreement on the resolution later on Thursday.
Gephardt, speaking on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America," said, "The president has sent language that we're looking at, we'll be talking about with him and his people today."
"It's a joint resolution, as I understand it, of the Congress that gives him legal authority to respond to this situation and to use force," Gephardt said.
Admitting there was some confusion about constitutional war powers, Gephardt said, "I'm not sure whether and what is needed."
"We're going to figure that out today, but the president is going to have what he needs in terms of resources and authority," Gephardt said.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said, "We're going to take up a resolution that basically gives the president the ability to respond.
"It's not necessarily war powers but it's within the framework of the War Powers Act," Hastert said.
NO FORMAL DECLARATION OF WAR
Sen. John Warner of Virginia, ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said a formal declaration of war would be inappropriate and problematic.
First off, Warner said, "I think it would be beneath our dignity to have a declaration of war against (Osama) bin Laden," the Saudi-born, anti-western dissident living in exile in Afghanistan who has emerged as a potential suspect in Tuesday's attack.
"Secondly," Warner said, if there was such a declaration, "the American public and the world would expect the troops to move the day afterward, and I don't think we are anywhere near, in the assessment of the situation, to have that clarity."
Early Thursday morning, a separate resolution condemning the most deadly terrorist attacks ever on American soil won final congressional approval.
The House passed the nonbinding measure by 408-0, about 12 hours after the Senate also unanimously approved it, 100-0.
The resolution declared Wednesday "a national day of unity and mourning," promised to increase "resources in the war to eradicate terrorism" and thanked foreign leaders who have "expressed solidarity with the United States."
House and Senate leaders hoped to reach agreement on yet another measure on Thursday, one that would provide $20 billion in emergency relief in response to terrorist attacks.
Bush initially asked for open-ended spending authority to deal with the devastation at New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But some members balked. So Republican and Democratic leaders moved toward crafting the limited package.
The money would be spent on: insuring federal, state and local preparedness; investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators; tightening airport and other transit security; pursuing rescue and recovery at the sites; and meeting overall national security needs.
Copyright © 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This was posted by a FR poster who says he got it from a Reuters site you need to sign up for to access. So I do not have a direct link to the article...Just to the original FR post where he makes the claim.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3ba0f4745b7e.htm
09/13/2001
Reuters English News Service
(C) Reuters Limited 2001.
WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The White House and congressional leaders neared agreement on Thursday on a bipartisan "resolution of resolve" to back potential anti-terrorist military strikes by President George W. Bush.
"We want to give him the tools that he needs and the administration needs to deal with this problem," House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri told reporters.
Such resolution could be brought to the floors of the House of Representatives and Senate for approval as early as Friday, provided an agreement can be reached on language, Democratic and Republican aides said.
The initial resolution offered by the White House and Republicans was seen by Democrats as too vague and broad, two top Democratic leadership aides said.
Bush already has the power to authorize limited military action in retaliation for the terrorists attacks on Tuesday against New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon outside of Washington in Virginia.
But House aides said the resolution would demonstrate and underscore congressional support and provide the president with the still-to-be agreed upon broader power.
They said it would also be in place of a formal declaration of war , which one lawmaker, Rep. Bob Barr, a Georgia Republican, planned to introduce later on Thursday.
SEEKS CONSENSUS
"We are going to find a consensus and move on this," said Greg Crist, a spokesman for House Republican Leader Dick Armey of Texas.
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said there may be an agreement on the resolution later on Thursday.
Gephardt, speaking on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America," said, "The president has sent language that we're looking at, we'll be talking about with him and his people today."
"It's a joint resolution, as I understand it, of the Congress that gives him legal authority to respond to this situation and to use force," Gephardt said.
Admitting there was some confusion about constitutional war powers, Gephardt said, "I'm not sure whether and what is needed."
"We're going to figure that out today, but the president is going to have what he needs in terms of resources and authority," Gephardt said.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, said, "We're going to take up a resolution that basically gives the president the ability to respond.
"It's not necessarily war powers but it's within the framework of the War Powers Act," Hastert said.
NO FORMAL DECLARATION OF WAR
Sen. John Warner of Virginia, ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said a formal declaration of war would be inappropriate and problematic.
First off, Warner said, "I think it would be beneath our dignity to have a declaration of war against (Osama) bin Laden," the Saudi-born, anti-western dissident living in exile in Afghanistan who has emerged as a potential suspect in Tuesday's attack.
"Secondly," Warner said, if there was such a declaration, "the American public and the world would expect the troops to move the day afterward, and I don't think we are anywhere near, in the assessment of the situation, to have that clarity."
Early Thursday morning, a separate resolution condemning the most deadly terrorist attacks ever on American soil won final congressional approval.
The House passed the nonbinding measure by 408-0, about 12 hours after the Senate also unanimously approved it, 100-0.
The resolution declared Wednesday "a national day of unity and mourning," promised to increase "resources in the war to eradicate terrorism" and thanked foreign leaders who have "expressed solidarity with the United States."
House and Senate leaders hoped to reach agreement on yet another measure on Thursday, one that would provide $20 billion in emergency relief in response to terrorist attacks.
Bush initially asked for open-ended spending authority to deal with the devastation at New York City's World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But some members balked. So Republican and Democratic leaders moved toward crafting the limited package.
The money would be spent on: insuring federal, state and local preparedness; investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators; tightening airport and other transit security; pursuing rescue and recovery at the sites; and meeting overall national security needs.
Copyright © 2000 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This was posted by a FR poster who says he got it from a Reuters site you need to sign up for to access. So I do not have a direct link to the article...Just to the original FR post where he makes the claim.
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3ba0f4745b7e.htm