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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Runner who wrote (15823)	5/23/2002 2:56:07 AM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27666

$29 Billion Anti-Terror Bill Clears House; $31 Billion Senate Version Progresses Wednesday, May 22, 2002 WASHINGTON — A $29 billion counterterrorism bill edged toward easy House passage Wednesday after Republican leaders won over enough disgruntled lawmakers to prevail on a pivotal procedural vote. The package, which would pour money into defense, intelligence, aviation security and other programs, was overwhelmingly popular with legislators from both parties. It also bore the endorsement of President Bush, who asked Congress for $27.1 billion in March. In what probably was the measure's sternest test, the House voted by a near party-line 216-209 to approve rules for debating legislation that automatically inserted several contentious provisions into the bill. With administration officials churning out almost daily warnings of new terror threats, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and other leaders finally won over enough wavering Republicans to avoid an embarrassing setback. "You're voting against our military" by opposing the rules package, Hastert warned the House just before the vote. "You're voting against those people in New York," where the terrorists struck. Democrats objected that the debate rules automatically inserted language into the bill that would allow fresh government borrowing, which the Bush administration has sought for months. Democrats blame last year's tax cuts for renewed red ink and oppose burying the issue in the anti-terrorism measure. "They are refusing to confront the consequences of their economic plan," said House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., Many GOP members of the House Appropriations Committee had objected to limits the preliminary vote would slap on overall spending for next year. Republican leaders wanted to hold the figure down to let them blame the Democratic-led Senate for driving up spending and finally prevailed. House leaders were using the procedural vote to address other problems as well. This included language that would be attached boosting Medicare reimbursements for hospitals in the districts of GOP Reps. Sue Kelly of New York and Don Sherwood of Pennsylvania — in exchange for their support in a trade vote, said congressional aides. There were also provisions helping domestic textile manufacturers — also to ensure more trade votes — and bolstering mail service in Alaska. Across the Capitol, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 29-0 for a $31 billion version of the bill, despite White House objections that it was $3.9 billion more expensive than what Bush wants. The panel chairman, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., has complained since the first $40 billion anti-terrorism package was enacted late last year that the White House has been shortchanging domestic security programs. "Sen. Byrd is veering down a path of more spending and bigger deficits that will make it harder for us to get back to a balanced budget," said White House budget office spokesman Trent Duffy. Democrats said the extra spending was needed to bolster security at ports, nuclear plants and other facilities. "On a scale of 1-to-100 in our homeland defense effort I say we're at a 5. We have a long, long way to go," Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said after a speech at the National Press Club. The bills were for the remaining four months of the federal fiscal year. About half the money in the House and Senate bills would go to the Pentagon and intelligence programs. Both would outspend Bush's $5.3 billion request for the FBI, the Coast Guard and other domestic security programs, and both would provide the $5.5 billion Bush requested to help New York recover from the Sept. 11 attacks. Both bills also added items Bush had not sought, including aid for Israel and the Palestinians, combating AIDS overseas and helping states revamp their election systems. The Senate bill would also require Senate confirmation for the director of homeland security, Tom Ridge. The language was the latest salvo in the battle between Ridge and Byrd, who with lawmakers from both parties has unsuccessfully demanded that Ridge testify before Congress. The full Senate might debate its bill this week. Meanwhile, the Democratic-led Senate Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-7 along party lines for a bill creating a Cabinet-level Department of National Homeland Security. The new agency would oversee many border security and emergency preparedness initiatives. The bill would also create a White House office to oversee a national anti-terrorism strategy. foxnews.com

To: Runner who wrote (15823)	5/23/2002 9:04:25 AM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27666

>Intelligence and counter-terrorism sources say authorities in several countries are getting set for nuclear terrorist attacks with casualties in the region of 10,000 or 50,000. Such preparations are underway in the main American cities, especially in Washington, New York and Los Angeles. In Britain, London and large cities in the north, such as Leeds and Manchester, are being prepared for nuclear assault, as are Moscow, Tel Aviv and other Israeli coastal cities. European cities, such as Milan, Paris and Berlin, know they could be targeted< Can you back that up?