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Editorial: Congress is a necessity, not a luxury The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun June 8 In the event of another national tragedy, Congress needs to take precautions so it can continue functioning. A Tom Clancy doomsday scenario nearly came true on 9-11. Now, almost 21 months later, a study commission is recommending a constitutional remedy should such a thing happen in the future. ... Because that portion of the 9-11 attacks didn't succeed, most official attention was directed elsewhere in the aftermath. But it did raise the question of how Congress could be reconstituted for business if most of its members were killed at one time. The law provides for presidential succession. And governors have the power to fill Senate vacancies quickly by appointment. But members of the House of Representatives cannot be appointed; vacancies can be filled only by special elections, a process that takes weeks or months to complete. A functioning Congress is a necessity, not a luxury, in a time of grave emergency because only Congress can appropriate money and pass emergency laws. ... This week, the commission, which was carefully balanced between Republicans and Democrats, unanimously recommended that a constitutional amendment be passed allowing governors to replace members of Congress immediately if a large number of vacancies occurred at once. The commission didn't offer specific proposals for how such an amendment would be worded. Instead, it suggested that representatives could designate their successors in advance or that they could provide a list of potential replacements from which their governors could choose. ... Some members of Congress apparently are reluctant to entertain the idea of having appointed representatives, even on a temporary basis. But the commission said the alternative of having only a small minority of the House making decisions that affect the entire nation wasn't any better. ... It's time that Congress stepped back from its usual partisan agendas and headed off a potential emergency before it occurs. To do otherwise would be dereliction of duty. Certainly, it has had fair warning. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -