House members return as promised

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers today vowed to barrel ahead, even though the six House and Senate office buildings where lawmakers and staffers do most of their work remained closed today for continued environmental testing in the wake of anthrax mailings.

Partly in a symbolic show of defiance, House lawmakers returned today as promised -- with some staffers staying home again and some working in temporary sites off Capitol Hill, including the General Accounting Office building.

Nevada lawmakers predicted that Congress would complete its work for the year -- perhaps by Thanksgiving -- despite anxiety over anthrax.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., said lawmakers feel a heavy responsibility and urgency to finish their legislative business, not out of fear but because they have already delayed action on important bills.

On the to-do list:

* Finalizing the appropriations bills that set the budget for the federal government.

* Passing an economic stimulus package.

* Completing an antiterrorism bill that increases police powers.

* Hammering out a compromise on an airline security bill stalled by partisan differences.

"We are anxious to get back to work and complete our business so we can go home," Berkley said. "Congress was supposed to adjourn Oct. 5. We have much to do, but I believe we can wrap up business by mid-November."

Gibbons returned to his Reno home Wednesday and was flying back to Washington today.

"Congress fully realizes that we are at ground zero," Gibbons said. "We are still committed to doing our job. I don't know how much work we can get done (today). But we are going to be on the House floor working."

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and a skeleton staff have been working in a cramped "war room" of sorts in his office in the Capitol because his main office in the Hart Senate Office Building is closed.

Reid kept an unusually light schedule Monday. He met with Miss Reno Rodeo Melissa Ann Cook.

Today Reid met with Washoe County Health District officer Barbara Hunt, who planned to testify at a congressional panel about the anthrax scare in Reno. Hunt said Reno needs more physicians and hospital space to deal specifically with biological threats, plus improved electronic data systems, a public information officer for the health district and a bioterrorism coordinator.

"Our awareness in our community has been heightened considerably and we've had a real-life training experience," Hunt said.