Instead, they said Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld wants the troops to support air patrols over New York and Washington and remain alert elsewhere in the country. Lawmakers also moved toward passage of a companion bill to endorse Bush's still-emerging plans for a military response. That bill cleared the Senate 98-0, with a House vote set for Saturday. In addition, aides in both parties said lawmakers are considering possible legislation to provide direct federal assistance to the airlines and insurance industries. The airlines have been hurt by the shutdown of the nation's airports and are expecting a long-term reduction in air travel by nervous travelers.
Some insurance companies are sure to suffer big losses as a result of the devastation.
Bush and most of his immediate predecessors gathered under the soaring ceiling of the cathedral. Vice President Dick Cheney, whisked out of Washington to Camp David on Thursday, was alone among the nation's senior political leaders in missing the service. In a symbolic gesture, a Muslim cleric, Imam Muzammil H. Siddiqi, was among the first to speak. We're involved in a new kind of warfare. And we need the spirit of God.