In the House of Representatives at the moment, there's a bill being shotgunned through which will make up to US$15 billion available for government loans and guarantees to businesses hit by this action - including in particular airlines.
However, it appears that there are a number of Representatives who object to rubber-stamping legislation of this magnitude without proper consideration - and they are blocking it. Click
here for further information.
At the same time in the Senate, Missouri Republican Kit Bond is drafting legislation that would let the federal government assume liability for non-passenger-related damages faced by UAL Corp. and AMR Corp for Tuesday's events.
A Bond aide said the legislation would aim to protect the airlines from liability from claims ranging from non-passenger victims to loss of business and the destruction of the World Trade Center towers and damage to surrounding buildings. Such claims would have the potential to drive the carriers out of business, he said.
This legislation is also drawing fire from some senators who believe that if indeed the airlines were partly to blame for Tuesday's events, then they should be forced to pay for their negligence.