Democrats back off fight over anti-terror spending

By Alan Fram

Associated Press

WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats backed down today from a veto fight with President Bush over their $35 billion anti-terrorism plan and began preparing a smaller package more to his liking.

The turnabout came as the Senate prepared for a showdown vote on the Democrats’ plan for responding to the Sept. 11 attacks. Republicans seemed certain to prevail, needing only 41 votes on the procedural motion – a margin they had Thursday evening on two similar roll calls.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., told reporters that after that vote, Democrats would offer an alternative $20 billion package, the size Bush has demanded. Aides said it would provide more money for New York and fighting bioterrorism than the president has proposed.

Bush had insisted he would veto the $318 billion defense bill, to which the Democrats’ anti-terror package was attached, if it exceeded the spending he wanted.

The development was a setback for Daschle and Democrats who believed they might succeed by attracting support from Republicans leery of voting against efforts to enhance domestic security.

They also thought the battle would help them paint Bush as not paying enough attention to going after terrorism at home.

Asked about the Democrats’ willingness to limit spending to $20 billion, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., said, “If it is, that would be a major step forward.”

But Sen. Robert Byrd, chief author of the Democrats’ $35 billion package, lashed out at the vote that Republicans were ready to win.

“This vote sends the message that it’s more important to win a political battle than it is to win the war against terrorism,” said Byrd, D-W.Va.

Even before the vote, Bush’s veto threat had seemed unbeatable because Republicans had pledged to sustain it.

Republicans were ready to force a vote on their $20 billion anti-terror package that offered more than the president’s for New York, bioterrorism and food safety. The GOP version contained less money than the Democrats’ plan for defense, federal law enforcement and border security.

Democratic leaders were worried the Republican proposal might attract enough Democrats support to pass. That led Democrats to weigh in with their own anti-terror package.

Bush has said he will seek more money early next year, but that enough money already is flowing to cover the next few weeks.

Three days after the attacks, Congress approved $40 billion to fight terrorists.

Bush was given control of half; lawmakers must vote anew on the details of the second $20 billion. Republicans say there was agreement to limit the spending to $40 billion, while Democrats say that was just a starting point.

In a letter to congressional leaders that renewed Bush’s veto threat, administration officials said that through November, only $6 billion of the $40 billion has been spent.

They said the Democratic proposal for $8 billion more than Bush proposed in emergency aid to New York and other places the terrorists hit was not necessary because recovery costs remain unknown. They said the Democrats’ $237 million plan for local law enforcement aid “will have little or no tangible impact on preventing or responding to terrorism.”

In Thursday’s two test votes, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., was the only senator to cross party lines.

The GOP-led House approved a $20 billion package last week.