Congress quickly OKs war powers
$40 billion approved along with broad authority for president

Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau

San Francisco Chronicle
from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/09/15/MN118968.DTL

Washington, D.C. - 9/15/01 -- Congress acted swiftly and nearly unanimously to approve $40 billion yesterday to respond to this week's attacks on New York and Washington, and it gave President Bush sweeping authority to retaliate against those responsible.

The only member of Congress to vote against the war powers resolution was Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland. "I am convinced that military action will not prevent further acts of international terrorism against the United States," she said.

The votes came the same day that Bush declared a national emergency and summoned as many as 50,000 military reservists to active duty. Military officials said they plan to call up about 35,500 of those reservists in coming weeks, mainly to help with anti-terrorist air patrols around 30 U.S. cities, including New York, Washington and San Francisco, and to keep jet fighters at 26 bases around the country on constant alert.

The Senate acted first yesterday, four days after thousands were killed or injured in the horrifying attacks in which terrorists used hijacked passenger jets as flying bombs.

With little debate, it voted 96 to 0 for the money, which in part will go to rebuild and help victims in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center was leveled in Tuesday's attacks; around the severely damaged Pentagon in Virginia and in Pennsylvania, where one of the four hijacked planes crashed into a field.

The money also will pay for increased airport security, more intelligence gathering and for defending U.S. territory against future assaults. The final package was twice Bush's request and two-thirds what it cost to wage the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

The Senate then voted 98 to 0 for a resolution authorizing Bush to "use all necessary and appropriate force" against those who planned the attacks or helped the terrorists.

"They have broken our hearts, but not our will," Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said on a national day of prayer and remembrance declared by Bush. "They hoped to bring us to our knees. Now let us stand together."

Washington officials say they believe the attacks were orchestrated by exiled Saudi extremist Osama bin Laden from his haven in Afghanistan.

In passing the resolution, the Senate voted to send the country into a kind of war it has never seen before, one against a shadowy opponent that may take years to wage and in which there may never be a huge battle. But both houses reacted strongly against this week's attacks against American civilians.

The House voted 422 to 0 for the money, then met late into the night considering the war authorization measure before approving it 420 to 1.

Supporting the resolution, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., opened five hours of debate by saying, "We do this because we must to preserve freedom and democracy in this country."

TAUSCHER MENTIONS FATHER

Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut Creek, whose father served during the Korean War, said, "This resolution is a recognition that we're moving away from my dad's war into a 21st century war, one that's asymmetrical, unconventional and possibly stateless. . . . All people of goodwill everywhere need to join us to fight this disgusting attack."

Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-Ga., put it more colorfully as he warned the terrorists, "We're coming after you, and the fury of hell is coming with us."

Another Bay Area liberal, Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Marin, said she would reluctantly vote for the resolution. "Hasty action could mean killing even more innocent people," she said while expressing her "disgust" for Tuesday's attacks.

SEPARATION OF POWERS

Although the votes on both pieces of legislation were overwhelming, there was partisan wrangling behind the scenes, largely attributable to the traditional tensions between the coequal legislative and executive branches.

Democrats rejected the first version of the appropriation bill, which called for spending $20 billion but would have given the administration a free hand in doing so.

Two days of talks doubled the amount but attached strings -- $10 billion will be available immediately, with another $10 billion ready after Bush publishes a plan for using it. Congress will have 15 days to review those plans.

The other $20 billion will wait for the regular congressional appropriations process.

The war resolution was less sweeping than the White House proposal, which called for giving the president the authority to go after those behind any terror attacks and to deter any future terror.

In its final version, the resolution zeroed in on those behind this week's attacks and their supporters. The resolution also requires the president to follow the provisions of the War Powers Act and report to Congress regularly on the military efforts.

The White House came to the war resolution debate with a strong hand, since the Constitution says the president has the power to repel any attack on U.S. territory.

"Congress is not abdicating our prerogatives. By trusting him with this power, we take our place at his side," said Rep. Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, the ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee.

INCREASED SECURITY

The votes came as federal authorities stepped up security around the White House, closing more streets around the executive mansion, apparently out of fear that this week's terrorist threat has not abated. The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials were closed again, after reopening after Tuesday's carnage.

In his declaration of a national emergency, Bush cited the "continuing and immediate threat of further attacks on the United States."

Although Bush's call-up of reserves authorized using as many as 50,000 reservists, the Pentagon said that so far it requires 13,000 for the Air Force,

10,000 for the Army, 3,000 for the Navy, 7,500 for the Marines and 2,000 for the Coast Guard.

None of the reservists will be sent overseas for now. They will be involved in helping at air bases and military hospitals, working as military police, operating ports, in search and rescue and as chaplains.