The U.S. Congress voted in favor of the use of military force to oust Iraqi troops from occupied Kuwait Saturday.

In the Senate, the Dole-Warner proposal supporting the use of military force was approved by a margin of 52-47. The Mitchell-Nunn proposal for continued economic sanctions failed to gain Senate approval by a 46-53 vote.

U.S. Senators Alan Dixon (D-Belleville) and Paul Simon (D-Makanda) both voted in favor of Mitchell-Nunn and both opposed the Dole-Warner proposal.

Simon said, “Prior to this time, the most impact we have had on the GNP of any country through sanctions is 16 percent. In the case of Iraq, (it was) approximately 50 percent.”

Prior to the vote, Dixon told President Bush he could not support military force but said he “understands that sanctions and talks may not work.” In such a case, Dixon said he would support the use of force, but thought an air assault should be used rather than ground forces.

The House approved similar proposals soon after the Senate completed its voting.

U.S. Representative Dennis Hastert (R-Yorkville) voted in support of the use of force against Kuwait. In his address to the House, Hastert said, “Hussein has increased rather than decreased his hold on Kuwait,” in the last five months.

“Sanctions have produced no hint of a response from Iraq,” he said.