The Michigan Daily - Friday, October 12, 2001 - 7A Congress approves $114B domestic budget WASHINGTON (AP) - The House gave rapid approval yesterday to $123 billion for this year's education, health and labor pro- grams as lawmakers continued a bipartisan, if belated, push to finish the year's routine spending bills. The measure, almost $14 billion larger than last year's, reflected a budget deal that President Bush and Congress struck two weeks ago. Members of both parties agreed to withhold contentious amendments to speed work on a measure that traditionally sees testy battles over abortion, schools and other issues that can last days. After less than seven hours of debate that saw a handful of amendments rejected, law- makers approved the measure by 373-43. The final hurdle was cleared after Rep. Melissa Hart (R-Pa.) withdrew an amend- ment that would have barred federal aid for any school dispensing morning-after birth control pills to minors. She said she will pursue her effort in separate legislation. Most Democrats and Republicans want to clear housekeeping work so they can concentrate on countering terrorism and rallying the economy. Many of them found further motivation from the big increases the bill would bestow on many programs, including ele- mentary and secondary schools, after- school centers, the National Institutes of Health, and job training for workers who have lost their jobs. Included is $393 mil- lion - $100 million more than last year - for efforts against bioterrorism. Overall, the measure would provide $7 billion more than Bush requested at the start of the year. The bill's total is $396 billion. But more than two-thirds of it is for automatically made payments under Medicaid, Medicare and other programs. So far, Congress.has cleared none of the 13 annual spending bills for fiscal 2002, which began Oct. 1. A measure temporarily keeping agencies functioning expires Oct. 16, so the House used a voice vote last night to approve a bill extending that date through Oct. 23. Quick Senate approval was expected. Con- gress hopes to adjourn for the year by mon- th's end. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its own $123 billion version of the labor, health and education spending bill containing similar spending increases. The vote was 29-0. That bill would for the first time condi- tionally allow limited, federally financed stem cell research. The House bill has no such provision. The stem cell language, written by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), would let Bush fol- low through on his August plan to restrict the research to the 64 stem cell lines that he said already exist. It also would let Bush go further and allow stem cell research using embryos that would otherwise be destroyed, if permis- sion were granted by the people whose fer- tility treatments created the embryos. The fate of the language seemed unclear. Conservatives on the committee, including Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), said the pronos- al needed additional discussion. White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush would stand by his earlier decision on stem cell research policy. Critics have said Bush overstated the number of viable stem cell lines. Scientists hope to use stem cells - which can grow into any type of human tis- sue - to treat Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other diseases. r BOLLINGER Continued from Page 1A matter where as Jean and I started talking about our future, we came not very long ago to the conclusion that this was the best choice for us." Bollinger said the decision to accept the offer was rather spontaneous but did not come easily. "It has been a very difficult and very painful decision," he said. "We didn't make the decision until very recently." Meanwhile, Bollinger will continue to steer the University of Michigan and the many initiatives he has begun since being inaugurated as president in 1997. He met with Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs Chair Moji Navvab yester- day and resolved many of the complaints by some faculty members that he has ignored their requests. "There are many things under way that I'm still going to focus on," Bollinger said. Two lawsuits challenging the University's admissions policies are scheduled to be heard Oct. 23 in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. The lawsuits were filed soon after Bollinger took office, and he has spent a good deal of his presidency defending the University's race-conscious admissions policies. But even with someone else at the helm, Bollinger said the University will not waver in its defense of affirmative action as the lawsuits head toward a possible hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court. "We have laid the foundation really, as a matter of law and a matter of policy. Now it's up to two courts to decide," Bollinger said. One matter Bollinger said he will not be involved in is the selection of a new provost. "It is really the prerogative of a sitting presi- dent to select the provost. So it is really no longer my business to select a permanent provost," he said. Bollinger had been the chair of the search com- mittee, but the search is now on hold indefinitely. Interim Provost Lisa Tedesco said she plans to continue in that position as long as necessary until a permanent replacement can be found. "If I'm asked to serve in that capacity ... I will work with the regents and the interim president or the president in any way they wish," she said. "I have every intent of doing the best job I can for Michigan." The University's nine executive officers were all appointed during Bollinger's term. Because they serve at the pleasure of the president, Bollinger's successor could choose to replace them. Vice President for Communications Lisa Rudgers said the officers anticipate working with the regents to ensure an orderly transition once Bollinger leaves. Amid speculation over the possibility that Bollinger may select members of his current vice presidents to serve in one of Columbia's executive positions, the executive officers say they are com- mitted to working at the University of Michigan. Vice President for Development Susan Feagin, who like Bollinger is a Columbia alum, said she plans to remain at the University for the time being. "My intention -is to go in to work here every day. ... I have a huge job to do," Feagin said. Chief Financial Officer Robert KAsdin came to the University in 1997 from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and said he does not anticipate a move to Columbia. "I've got a lot of work to do here, and my staff and I have rolled up our sleeves and are hard at work," he said. AP PHOTO A soldier of a tank division fighting Afghanistan's Taliban rulers guards a rocket launcher In Dasht-l-Qala, Afghanistan yesterday. ATTAC KS Continued from Page 1A successful campaign so far, senior defense officials cau- tioned that the fight in Afghanistan is likely to be a long one. One official said the military plans to settle in for months, if not years, of patrolling the Afghan skies and hitting Taliban and al-Qaida forces as they emerge from underground bunkers. "We will play to our strengths. And our strength is endurance," one defense official said. "We can stay there forever." Osman said that some of the current targets have been select- ed based on information provid- ed by the anti-Taliban rebels of the Northern Alliance. But he said the insurgents aren't being allowed to pick targets or to pro- vide close air support for alliance forces. With long-range B-1 and B-52 bombers and F-14 and F/A-18 fighter jets soaring over the mountains to strike Taliban posi- tions near the capital, Kabul, Pentagon officials said the planes had hit seven targets Wednesday and six targets Tues- day, including a Taliban motor pool, a military radio station in Kabul, a collection of surface- to-air missiles and a military air- field. The bombers flew from the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. U.S. forces also lobbed three submarine- based Tomahawk missiles at tar- gets in Afghanistan, Osman said. As the bombardment of the mountainous country already ravaged by years of war contin- ued, Osman said the military was receiving indications that there have been defections from the ranks of the Taliban. He said it's unclear how many defections there have been. Meanwhile, an Air Force sergeant on active duty on the northern Arabian peninsula became the first announced U.S. military fatality of the oper- ation. The Air Force said Master Sgt. Evander Andrews, based at' Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, was killed early Wednesday in a heavy-equip- ment accident. The Afghan Islamic Press, a pro-Taliban news agency, claimed yesterday that U.S. raids had killed more than 140 people in the previous 24 hours, includ- ing dozens in one strike on a vil- lage near the eastern city of Jalalabad. At a news briefing in the Pakistani capital of Islam- abad, Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, said up 100 people had been killed. But so far, the Taliban have not backed up their claims of large casualties by allowing journalists access to victims or by broadcasting pictures of sig- nificant damage or carnage. Rumsfeld said that the U.S.- led force has taken steps -- not always successful -- to mini- mize civilian casualties. "The United States of America does not target civilians," he said. RALLY Continued from Page 1A While most sentiments at the rally were celebratory and support- ive, there was also an underlying awareness of the terrorist attacks that occurred exactly one month ago yesterday. After questioning what there is to celebrate on a day that marks the month anniversary of a national cri- sis, Beth Harrison-Prado, a Social Work and social science doctoral student, stressed the importance of fighting against hate in a situation like this. "What we're doing today is absolutely essential. It is making headway toward stopping the hate," Harrison-Prado said. Jim Toy, founder of the Universi- ty's LGBTA office, the oldest at any college in the country, spoke about current efforts advocating two courses of action the Universi- ty must take. The LGBTA is calling for the Board of Regents to expand its non-discriminatory policies, which currently include sexual orienta- tion, to also include gender identity. They are also demanding that the University cut off funding to the United Way, Toy said. The United Way helps fund the Boy Scouts, an organization that discriminates on the basis of religious belief and sexual orientation. "We want the University to give money, but not to people that teach intolerance," said LSA senior William Pierce Beckham. "I'm more confident that the University and administration may do something positive about their relationship with the United Way," Toy said after meeting with Presi- dent Bollinger yesterday morning. National Coming Out Day was also celebrated on other campuses. The Alliance of Lesbian, Bisexual, Ga'y, Transgender and Straight Stu- dents at Michigan State University scheduled a week of events as well, including a number of speakers and a demonstration outside Michigan State's administration building call- ing for more recognition. MSA Continued from Page 1A completed, but it has not been approved by the University Board of Regents. "This issue has genuinely created student support, but the administration does not think it is a high priority," Nolan said. "We are the leaders and best, so Rec Sports should be the best." At Tuesday night's MSA meeting, Nolan said he has contacted regents about having students represent at least a quarter of the presidential search committee expected to be formed in the coming weeks. "I think students should be an important part of the presidential search," Nolan said. MSA representatives also want to BUSH Continued from Page 1A nations that harbor terrorists. In par- ticular, he called Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein an "evil man" and added, "we're watching him very carefully." While the current focus is on Afghanistan, he said "we're looking for al-Qaida cells around the world" - and if the United States find any, it will pursue them. Bush spoke at the first prime-time news conference of his presidency, but more importantly, one month to the day after terrorist attacks in New York and Washington murdered thou- sands, damaged the nation's economy and shattered its complacency. In the month since, the president has labored to construct a foundation for an international war on terrorism, moving to choke off the funding "I think there's a certain sacrifice when you lose a piece of your soul." - President Bush essential for terrorists to carry out their strikes, lining up support from other nations, creating a new Office of Homeland Security and -- begin- ning on Sunday - unleashing the nation's military. The news conference capped a national day of remembrance. There were memorial services around the nation to remember the more than 5,000 people killed when suicide hijackers seized four commercial air- liners and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Penta- gon and the Pennsylvania countryside. At the news conference, Bush also said that Syria, a nation often linked with terrorist groups, had expressed a desire to help with the anti-terror coalition. "We'll give them an oppor- tunity to do so." He did not give specifics on the type of assistance Syria offered, but said he takes it seri- ously. "If you want to join the coalition against terror, we will welcome you," Bush said. Asked whether he was calling for sacrifice from Americans as part of the war against terrorism, Bu'sh said, "I think there's a certain sacrifice when you lose a piece of your soul. the michigan daily Wanted! Spring Breakers! Sun Coast Vacations wants to send you on Spring Break to Cancun, the Bahamas, Jamaica, or Mazatlan FOR FREE! To find out how, call 1-888-777-4642 or e-mail' sales@suncoastvacations.com GET A VISA CARD that earns you FLEE Travel, Clothes, Music, etc. Online approval in 30 seconds. www.get-creditcard.com I 1w K, K - - --1.0