The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a 20 billion dollar anti-terrorism package on Wednesday in Washington after blocking a Democratic effort to add billions of dollars for domestic security, defense and aid to New York.
The House voted 406-20 to approve the 318 billion dollar defense bill, to which the 20 billion dollars in terrorism funds were added.
The US Congress approved 40 billion dollars in emergency spending bill three days after the September 11 attacks that killed more than 3,000 people. President George W. Bush controls half of the money, but the other 20 billion dollars, which must be approved by Congress, was attached to the defense bill for this year.
The 20 billion dollars is to finance the war in Afghanistan and the battle against domestic terrorism and to help New York and other communities recover from the September 11 attacks.
Bush threatened to veto any legislation that would spend more than the 40 billion dollars in emergency anti-terror spending. White House officials renewed that threat Wednesday.
"We look forward to working with Congress to ensure that the highest priority needs are met in an expeditious manner," they wrote to congressional leaders.
The legislation now moves to the Senate. Majority Democrats are planning to vote next week on whether to challenge Bush's veto threat.
(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2001)
