EMERSON AND POSHARD CAST OPPOSITE VOTES

CAPE GIRAREDEAU -- Congressmen in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri voted on opposite sides of a resolution Saturday to give President Bush authority to send U.S. forces into combat against Iraq.

Missouri Congressman Bill Emerson was one of the 250 who voted to grant war authority to the president. Glenn Poshard of Illinois rejected the resolution.

The House vote favoring the president's request was 250-183. Earlier in the day, the Senate vote in favor of the measure was 53-46.

Before voting to grant war authority to the president, the Senate and the House rejected competing resolutions that would have given more time for economic sanctions to bring pressure on Iraq.

"There is nothing more atrocious or distasteful than war," said Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau. "I hope and pray every single day that there will be a peaceful resolution of the situation in the Persian Gulf.

"Since Iraq's brutal, invasion of Kuwait, I have been supportive of the president's response to Saddam Hussein's attempts to hold the world hostage in his arbitrary territorial, dictatorial, and petroleum supply and control demands and ambitions," explained Emerson.

He added that events of recent days have affirmed his belief that Congress must give the president the flexibility to deal with this situation.

Emerson, in explaining his vote, said, "We must not allow Saddam Hussein to get away with his brutal and tyrannical actions or other terrorist thugs will have the idea that they may intimidate others and be successful in that intimidation."

However, Emerson emphasized that "no stones should be left unturned as we seek to achieve a peaceful resolution in the Middle East.

"President Bush is the commander in chief of the armed forces and has access to the best available intelligence information on which to plot strategy," said Emerson. "Denying him flexibility at this point would only be tying his hands, and would send exactly the wrong message to Hussein."

Poshard, one of the 183 which voted against the president's request, sees it differently.

"I felt that we should continue the present economic sanctions and diplomatic efforts a while longer," said Poshard, D-Carterville. "I realize that in many cases there can be no recourse, but if this became the case here, President Bush should come to Congress, and Congress should then vote to declare war."

"Even without the congressional action, our forces had the right to react, should an attack be launched against them," added Poshard.

He added that he is a firm believer that Congress is the "constitutionally-approved body which should declare war. I don't think the declaration of war should be up to the president."

Poshard had indicated earlier in the week that he felt the economic sanctions should be continued another six months.

Poshard concluded:

"The decision has been made now, and our job is to give the president, our country and our troops all the support necessary to bring this situation to a successful conclusion. We have to hope that Saddam Hussein will come to his senses and come to the table and that we do not go to war."

The Senate earlier voted 52-47 in favor of Bush's request.

Christopher Bond and John Danforth, Republicans from Missouri, voted for the president's request. Illinois Democrats Paul Simon and Alan Dixon voted to continue the sanctions.