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(Capitol Hill-AP) -- A unanimous vote of approval today from the Senate panel that was considering Tom Ridge's nomination to head the new Cabinet-level Homeland Security Department.
Confirmation by the full Senate is expected to come quickly -- so Ridge will be in place when the department is officially established next week.
The vote followed a four-hour hearing by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Ridge told senators that the fight against terrorists is just beginning. And he said the new agency won't be able to prevent all efforts to strike at Americans.
Some committee members described the administration's anti-terrorism policies as too weak -- and also voiced concern that the fight against terrorists would come at the expense of civil rights.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
