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Congress unanimously approves $40 billion in aid
Senate backs use of force in wake of attacks

By John Lancaster and Helen Dewar / The Washington Post

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   WASHINGTON -- Congress gave quick and unanimous approval Friday to $40 billion in emergency aid to respond to Tuesday's terrorist attacks, as lawmakers transcended partisan splits with vows of unity against a common enemy.
   The Senate drove home the point with another unanimous vote approving the use of military force by President Bush, with the House preparing to do the same.
   The rapid-fire votes were remarkable both for their gravity and the absence of partisan tension surrounding them. Having resolved earlier differences with the White House over both bills, the normally loquacious senators did not even bother to debate the measures, somberly calling out "aye" as the clerk called their names alphabetically.
   Instead of milling about the floor, as they usually do during a roll call, the senators cast their votes while sitting at their desks, a tradition reserved for only the weightiest matters of state. Afterward, many boarded buses to attend a prayer service with Bush at the National Cathedral.
   While many lawmakers said Bush doesn't need congressional authority to take military action -- an argument that presidents have long endorsed -- Bush had sought the resolution as a way of demonstrating the country's unity to its enemies and the world.
   In the latest of a nearly week-long series of joint appearances, Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., and Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., stressed the extraordinary bipartisanship that Congress has demonstrated since the Tuesday attacks.
   "This has been an historic day in what has been obviously quite an historic week," Daschle said. "Once again the Senate has pulled together, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, responding to a crisis in a way that Americans expect."
   "We could quibble for days or for weeks ... We could parse every word," Lott agreed. "But the Senate, united like I have never seen it before, chose not to do that."
   Speaking of the use-of-force authorization, Lott said: "I believe that it's broad enough for the president to have the authority to do all that he needs to do to deal with this terrorist attack and threat. I also think that it is tight enough that the constitutional requirements and limitations are protected."
   Though it may prove ephemeral, the new atmosphere of shared purpose marks a striking change for Congress. Less than a week ago, lawmakers were crowding the Sunday talk shows to snipe at one another over the fate of a few billion dollars in the Social Security "lockbox." Friday, they passed a $40 billion emergency spending bill -- double Bush's original request -- with nary a murmur of dissent.
   White House officials and congressional leaders of both parties negotiated late into Thursday night on both the spending bill and the use-of-force resolution, attempting to strike a delicate balance between presidential and congressional war-making powers and avoid a divisive debate that could shatter the government's facade of unity.
   Senators of both parties objected to an initial White House draft of the war-powers measure that would have given the president broad authority to "deter and prevent any related future acts of terrorism and aggression against the United States."
   The final resolution, approved 98-0, is worded more narrowly. It authorizes the president "to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11 or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons."
   The spending bill provides an emergency appropriation of $40 billion to assist recovery operations, repair damaged facilities, strengthen security and fight terrorism. Bush had originally requested $20 billion, but congressional leaders insisted on doubling the amount to cope with the devastation caused by the attacks, especially in New York.
   "New York has two words to America: Thank you. You were there in our hour of need. You've shone a little light in our great darkness," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "And we'll be back."
   Under the legislation, Bush could immediately spend $10 billion as he wishes. Another $10 billion will be made available no more than 15 days after the White House submits a plan for allocation of the funds to the House and Senate appropriations committees. The other $20 billion would be made available only if Bush requests it and it is approved as part of next year's appropriations bills. No less than $20 billion, or half the total amount, is to be spent on disaster recovery operations and other forms of assistance in response to Tuesday's attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
   Wisconsin Rep. David Obey, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee said the measure "provides unprecedented grants of authority to the president, but it does retain reasonable congressional ability to make its own judgments about how this money ought to be spent."
   But Obey also warned the $40 billion bill was simply "a down payment" on a "long twilight struggle against terrorism. This is going to be a very nasty enterprise."
   The Senate approved the measure 96-0, and the House later did the same, 422-0.
   Presidents have continued to defend their right to initiate military action on their own. In January 1991, however, Bush's father sought to confer legitimacy on American military operations against Iraq by seeking approval from Congress, which granted it after two days of divisive debate. Friday, his son found the going considerably easier.
   "Under the Constitution, the president already possesses this authority, but it is enhanced, and our cause strengthened, by the support of Congress," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.