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Published
by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. CLICK FOR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Wednesday, September 26, 2001
House OKs defense bill, anti-terrorism money
Senate debate is slowed as Gramm and Inhofe argue to add measures to bill
By Carolyn Skorneck
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The House overwhelmingly approved a $343 billion defense bill late Tuesday after diverting some money from President Bush's prized missile defense program to counterterrorism efforts. But the Senate's work got bogged down over objections by a couple of senators.
The 398-17 House vote followed bipartisan agreement to cut some funds from the missile defense program while boosting the money to fight terrorism by $400 million, for a total of about $6 billion.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Bob Stump, R-Ariz., called the extra anti-terrorism money "an initial down payment until the president can better assess the long-term needs."
President Bush praised the House action, calling it a "vital step to ensure our nation's security."
Rep. Ike Skelton of Missouri, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, credited a new bipartisan spirit in Congress since terrorists attacked the country. He said a "very spirited debate" over missile defense had been expected. "Then America was struck with an abominable act that demanded a united response."
In the Senate, meanwhile, it appeared to be all against two Republican senators who were seeking to push measures that much of the Senate didn't want included.
"We can't continue to deliberate and to object and to delay," Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle said as he strode to the floor Tuesday night and ruled out more votes for the evening. "I'll be patient, but patience wears thin. We have a lot of work to do."
Assistant Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the bill contains provisions that would help reservists and National Guard members now being called to duty.
"This bill is going to go down as a result of nothing to do with this bill?" he asked angrily, saying 98 percent of the Senate wants to move the bill.
The Senate stumbled over attempts by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., to add the Bush administration's energy bill to the defense measure, and by Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, to let private contractors compete with prison industries for defense contracts.
Earlier in the day, the Senate endorsed Bush's base-closings initiative, 53-47, as Democrats strongly opposed an effort to remove the provision from the defense bill. The $343 billion measure, the total Bush requested, would authorize money for the military efforts of the Defense and Energy departments for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
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