BAKER EYES LATIN AID, JOBS PLAN SPLIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302970003-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: June 19, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302970003-9
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE 4 - 1 I
WASHINGTON POST
19 June 1984
Baker Ey es Latin Aid, Jobs Plan Split
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By Helen Dewar
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Washington PostStatf Writer
Senate Majority Leader ,Howard,
H. Baker, Jr. (R-Teiin.), smarting:
from Democratic "attach,.-said yes-
terday that he is willing -to' cut loose
and pass a $100 million summer jobs
for youth bill that hasbeen.a hos-
tage for $21 million President Rea
gan wants in emergency aid to right
ist rebels in Nicaragua.,;
Early this morning, , continuing
work on the fiscal 1985_defense au-
thorization bill, the Senate rejected,':,
58'to 38, a proposal to phase out aid
to Nicaraguan rebelsor-"contras."
Earlier,. it rejected, 63 to 1,. an
amendment to bar- use of US com-
bat troops in El Salvador .o# Nica
raggua without- prior -.congrtsssio'tai
approval ,
S'
The margin on contra 'aid wasi
narrower than a 61-to-30 void in Ap-
ril against ending the assistance. The
margin on combat troops was wider
than the 59-to-36 verdict two
months ago against a similar move
to bar use of such troops, in El Sal-
vador.
Republican leaders were worried
enough about the vote on contra aid
that they summoned Vice President
Bush to the Senate about midnightl
in case he were-needed to break a
tie.
The House has approved banning
U.S. combat forces in Central Amer-
ica and refused to sanction further
-aid to the contras, putting the two
houses on collision course on both
issues for next year and on-the issue
of further contra aid for this year.
On the summer-jobs issue, Baker
told a reporter, "One way or another,
we've got to get [it[ done," an elab-
oration of his cryptic comment on an
interview show Sunday.
Baker and House Speaker Thom-
as P. (Tip) O'Neill Jr. (D-Mass.)
have been locked in a lengthy stand-
off over an omnibus supplemental
spending bill for this year that 'in-
cludes the summer-jobs money and
funds for the contras. ?
Sen. Alan J. Dixon (D-IIL) said "He's anxious to produce the
Baker also indicated another way of money as soon as possible. .
handling the problem-allowing the Obviously, we will explore whatever
Senate to vote later this week on a options are open," the aide said. But
Democratic proposal to strip the he expressed reservations about
pending omnibus bill of aid money whether the Senate would act swiftly
for the contras. and without encumbering amend-
The impasse took on ominous' ments.
proportions for the Republicans last Asked if.early, separate action on
week as Democrats, led by O'Neill, the summer-jobs money would re-
scored political points with a com- duce leverage for passage of the
plaint that summer-jobs money was contra aid, Baker said, "I suppose so,
being held hostage for passage of the but, by the same token, we've got to
contra aid, a high-priority item for get the summer-jobs money."
the Reagan administration.
The Republican-controlled Senate
had approved the contra aid, but the
House refused to do so. As long as
the two remain linked, without a ve-
hicle for passage of either part sep-
arately, the jobs money cannot be
Baker said he will continue to
press for quick action on the omni-
bus measure. He said he "expects"
approval of the El Salvador money
and "hopes" for inclusion of the
contra aid.
Asked if the administration goes
along with his plan to move ahead
with the summer jobs appropriation,
Baker said, "I haven't asked."
The administration originally op-
posed additional money for summer
jobs but accepted it in a compromise
that included the El Salvador and
approved.
Unless the jobs money is ap-
proved before the July 4 recess that
starts in-about 10 days, lawmakers
fear that it will be too late to do any
good.
The $100 million is on top of $724
million approved earlier by Congress Nicaragua money.
for youth gobs this summer and
would bring the funding for this year
up to last year's leveL It would pro-
vide an additional 100,000 jobs.
Baker said he .has signaled to
O'Neill his willingness to consider a
separate summer-jobs bill if the
House, which must originate spend-
ing bills, sends one to the Senate.
Baker had said the jobs money
and contra aid should be included in
the same bill
O'Neill said the pending measure,
which includes a less controversial
provision for $62 million in aid to El
Salvador, should be, stripped of the
contra aid. He has said the House
will not approve any contra money.
.,O'Neill was out of town yesterday,
but" an aide said that, while the
speaker would still like to pass the
pending bill without the contra aid,.
he would consider Baker's offer of a
separate summer-jobs bill.
The Senate debate on defense au-
thorization extended past midnight
after Sen. Daniel V__ Inouye (D-
Hawaii), architect of earlier bipar-
tisan compromises on aid to Ni-
caraguan rebels, made the surprise
proposal to end such aid next year.
Inouye proposed providing $6 mil-
lion through September to phase out
aid to the contras in what he called a
"humanitarian way," thereby elim-
inating the $28 million for the contra
program recommended earlier by the
Senate intelligence committee for
next year.
He said he is reversing course in
part because the contra-aid program
is "slowly but surely eroding what-
ever credibility is left for our Central
Intelligence Agency."
In opposing the proposal, Senate
intelligence committee Chairman
Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.) said it
would leave Sandinista-backed guer-
rillas free to continue the "spread of
death and destruction in El Sal-
vador."
Continu3d
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302970003-9