White House Seeks 20 Billion Dollars to Rebuild After AttacksPresident George. W. Bush' s administration Wednesday asked the US Congress to set aside 20 billion US dollars for rescue efforts, repairs and anti- terrorism measures following the Tuesday terrorist attacks here and in New York.White House budget office spokesman Christopher Ullman said that the administration would work with all parties to get the emergency funds in place as soon as possible. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young, a Republican from Florida, said lawmakers hoped to have the spending bill on Bush's desk by Thursday. "We want a swift, positive reaction from Congress and appropriating the money is just that," Young said. However, Senate majority leader Tom Daschle, a Democrat from South Dakota, doubted that the funding could be approved in one day. "It's premature to be announcing a figure," he said. The funds could enable Bush to counter and prosecute domestic and international terrorists, boost transportation security, rebuild the damaged Pentagon and clean up the debris of New York's two World Trade Center towers. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed in Tuesday 's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. |
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