HOUSE VOTES DOWN EFFORT TO WEAKEN BAN ON COVERT AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404220004-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: July 29, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/17: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404220004-7
I2TICLE APPEARED
OWN PAGE
NEW YORK TIMES
29 July 1983
_gwiated settlement to the turmoil in
Central Ameria.
Final passage of the-bill was still in
doubt, but the two test votes indicated
that some qualified ban on covert aid
would be adopted. The legislation is cer-
tain to face serious opposition in the Re-
publican-controlled Senate, but sup.
porters claimed that they had already
accomplished an important purpose by
demonstrating the serious split on Cap-
n Hill ov
li
Ad
i
i
ti
o
er
m
n
stra
on Policies in
MAIN TEST STILL TO COME
Central America.
HOUSE VOTES DOWN
EFFORT TO V'EAKEN
BAN ON COVERT AID
President's Supporters Fail to
Neutralize Assistance for.
Anti-Sandinista Rebels`
By STEVEN V. ROBERTS
SpedtoTLe New York Timis
WASHINGTON, July 28- The House
of Representatives today twice rejected
attempts by Reagan Administration
supporters to neutralize legislation that
would halt secret aid to rebels fighting
the Government of Nicaragua.
But while critics of the Administra-
tion's Central American policy won the
day's major battles, they realized dur-
ing the debate that they lacked the votes
for their original proposal, a permanent
'Demonstration to the President'
"Clearly the House is divided on this
question," said Representative Bill
Alexander, - Democrat of Arkansas.
"This.is a demonstration to the Presi-
dent of the will of the American peo-
ple.,,
As the debate began, both sides esti-
mated the vote to :be extremely close
and advanced moderating amendments
designed to bring defectors from the
other camp. The fluid situation on the
-House floor reflected the uncertainties
troubling many members, who did not
approve of the aid but hesitated to cut it
off out of fear of helping the Sandinista
Government in Nicaragua.
"People are trying to find a way to be
on both sides of this issue," noted Rep-
resentative Michael D. Barnes, Demo-
crat of Maryland. 'And Representative
Daniel A. Mica, Democrat of Flordia,
said, "Many of us believe the President
is acting illegally under United States
laws, but we also think the Nicaragua
ban on covert aid. Accordingly, they thing will eventually become a major
proposed a compromise of their own problem for this hemisphere."
that would make it somewhat easier for ~ Members seeking to end the covert
the Administration to resume covert i aid to Nicaraguan rebels made a con-
aid after it was terminated. cession to Administration policy when
they advanced an amendment to their
The aid would only be resumed, bow- original proposal. Instead of banning
ever, if the President reported to Con. the aid permanently, the new version
gress that Nicaragua continued to sub- would halt it for a minimum of 30 days.
sidize armed insurgents fighting the The aid could then be resumed if the
Government of El Salvador and both President submitted a report to Con-
bouses of Congress agreed with him !mss documenting that Nicaragua con-
Critics Win E>i ly Test tined to help insurgent forces in El Sal-
vador.
In an early test vote,-critics of the Ad. Congress would then have to approve
ministration won by 221 to 205. Through j the resumption of secret aid by a joint
parliamentary , manuv, ring, Adminis- resolution, which has the effect of law.
tration supporters managed to get a The mechanism is not a legislative veto
second vote on the same issue later in and would not be barred by recent Su.
the evening, but they lost again, 223 to preme Court decisions outlawing such
vetoes.
203.
'Great fro' Noted .
In addition, the legislators adopted an
amendment tonight offered by Repre- Supporters of the original cutoff legis-
sentative Jim Wright of Texas,-the ma j, lation said their substitute preserved
jority leader, that urges the Adminis- the basic intent of their proposal, which
STATzation to work through the Organiza_ was to take a decisive step against the
`covert aid program
tion of American States in seeking a ne- and make known
Congressional unhappiness with the Ad-
ministration's policies.
'The "a that we got, more than 200
votes
said Mr. Barnes, the
great concern of the American people
about this Administration's policies in
Central America."
But Representative Henry J. Hyde,
Republican of Illinois, said the bill's
supporters had staged "a significant re-
treat" and gone a long way toward ac-
cepting the principle of "symmetry"
advanced - by the Administration.
"Symmetry" means that the Adminis-
tration is willing to end Its covert aid to
the Nicaraguan rebels if Nicaragua
ends its aid to insurgents battling the
Salvadoran Government.
=Opponents of the aid cutoff also'
moved toward a more centrist position
by supporting an amendment offered
by Representative Mica, the Florida
Democrat. The amendment basically
accepts the premise that the Adminis-
tration, through its secret aid, is violat-
ing a law banning the use of American
money to help overthrow the Nicara-
guan Government
provide for an end to secret aid if the
Nicaraguan Government "is taking
steps" to end its own support for the in-
surgency in El Salvador. That action by
Nicaragua could be verified either by
the President or the Organization of ,
American States.
While both camps felt compelled to
moderate their positions somewhat, the
day's debate demonstrated the strong
feelings over the issue. Representative
William S. Broomfield of Michigan, the
ranking Republican on the Foreign Af-
fairs Committee, stated the issue this
way: "You're either for or against the
New Plan is Asked
This proposal would delay the aid cut-
off to Oct. 1 at the earliest. In the mean-
time, the Administration would be re-
quired to submit a new plan "providing
for the interdiction of arms being
shipped from or through Nicaragua to
forces hostile to the Government of El
Salvador."
In formulating this plan, the bill says,
the Administration "shall consider
whether it would be useful" to pursue
negotiations with Nicaragua or involve
other countries of the Western Hemip-
shere through the Organization of
American States or the United Nations.
In addition, the Mica proposal would
policy of the United States."
"We are seeing a conflict over how to
approach Central America," said Rep-
resentative Alexander, the Arkansas
Democrat "This debate raises a cen-
tral question about the use of force. Are
we in a battle of guns and tanks or in a
battle of ideas?"
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/17: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404220004-7