US Congress vows to step up war on terror
( 2001-09-13 14:15 ) (7 )

A bipartisan resolution vowing US retaliation for the most deadly terror attacks ever on American soil won congressional approval in the early hours of Thursday.

The US House of Representatives passed the nonbinding measure by a vote of 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."

Final passage came after a marathon session during which House members, one by one, rose to denounce the air strikes by hijacked jetliners that demolished New York City's World Trade Center and caused heavy damage to the Pentagon outside of Washington in suburban Virginia.

Many lawmakers spoke angrily as nearby, in the Capitol Rotunda, a prayer vigil was held for the victims of the assaults, likely to number in the thousands.

"May the Lord grant eternal peace to all those we mourn this evening," the House chaplain, Dan Coughlin, said as lawmakers bowed their heads.

On Wednesday, Republican and Democratic leaders worked on a possible US$20 billion emergency relief package that would help rebuild after the deadly attack.

Provided final agreement is reached, the House and Senate could pass the package as early as Thursday and send it to President George W. Bush for his signature.

Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, said the United States had a message for those behind the attacks: "We are coming after you. God may have mercy on you, but we won't."

"These attacks were an assault on our people and our freedom," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat.

"We must confront these acts and find a way to come together and make sure that this kind of heinous, vicious action will not happen again in America," said Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican.

Congress reconvened on Wednesday 24 hours after lawmakers fled the Capitol building because of the possibility that the air assaults in New York and at the Pentagon would be repeated at their marble landmark.

Security was beefed up as uniformed police cordoned off a block around the Capitol building, allowing in only vehicles with congressional credentials.

Finger-pointing over quickly shrinking federal surpluses was swept aside as many lawmakers were in a fever to pour more money into the nation's defense.

Democrats and Republicans said protecting Social Security retirement fund surpluses must take a back seat to protecting the nation, recovering from the assault and punishing the perpetrators.

Bush initially asked for open-ended spending authority to deal with the devastation, but some members balked.

So Republican and Democratic leaders moved toward crafting the US$20 billion package. A top aide said Democrats had not yet signed off on it but indicated they were close.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, a Florida Republican, said 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.

"We want a swift and positive reaction from the Congress, and appropriating the money is just that," Young said.

Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, wife of former President Bill Clinton, was among the lawmakers who vowed to "stand united" behind the Republican president as he moves to punish the perpetrators of the attacks as well as any who gave them "aid or comfort."

"I hope that the message has gotten through to everywhere it needs to be heard -- that you are either with America in our time of need or you are not," Clinton said.