Congress nears agreement on emergency anti-terrorism bill

Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- In an extraordinary show of bipartisan unity, congressional leaders said they intended to begin pushing an emergency anti-terrorism package through Congress on Thursday with a price tag that could exceed $20 billion.

They said they also wanted quick approval this week of a separate measure stating Congress' support for the use of force by President Bush against the terrorists who crashed airliners into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Tuesday, inflicting massive casualties.

Top lawmakers and White House officials were hoping to nail down final details of both bills by late Thursday.