The United States House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill setting up special elections if 100 or more of the 435 House members are killed in a catastrophe.

The long-stalled bill, approved by 306-97, came amid heightenedconcern about possible terrorist attacks in the United States before the November election.

"On September 11, 2001, the fourth hijacked plane was headed for the US Capitol," said bill sponsor Representative James Sensenbrenner, Republican from Wisconsin, referring to United Flight 93, which crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

The measure would require special elections within 45 days of the House speaker confirming that a catastrophic event had left atlast 100 of the 435 seats vacant.

Democrats criticized the Republican plan of special elections as slow and cumbersome. They said it would leave the nation without a key part of the government at a time of need.

The Democrats want a constitution amendment to allow governors to appoint House members temporarily until an election could be held or to allow each member of the House to choose a short list of successors who could take over.

They have begun a petition drive to force their proposal to thefloor for a vote.

Senate vacancies can be temporarily filled by appointments madeby governors.

Source: Xinhua