CENTRAL AMERICA IN THE CONGRESS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801120110-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 110
• Publication Date: March 20, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/02 : CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801120110-8
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FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO CONTADORA COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
BT
C O N F I D E N T I A L
E.O. 12356 DECL: OADR
TAGS: MASS, XK
SUBJECT: CENTRAL AMERICA IN THE CONGRESS
1. FOLLOWING IS A STATUS REPORT ON LEGISLATION AFFECTING
OUR INTERESTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA:
2. ON MARCH 14 THE SENATE APPRDPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE AN ADMINISTRATION REQUEST FOR 93
MILLION DOLLARS IN SUPPLEMENTAL FY-1984 MILITARY AID FOR
EL SALVADOR, AFTER DEFEATING BY 16-13 A PROCEDURAL
AMENDMENT OFFERED BY SENATOR INOUYE THAT WOULD HAVE
DEFERRED CONSIDERATION OF THE EL SALVADOR AMENDMENT. THE
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS WERE ATTACHED AS AN AMENDMENT TO A BILL
PROVIDING 150 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY FOOD AID FOR
AFRICA WHICH HAD PASSED THE HOUSE EARLIER. ADMINISTRATION
OFFICIALS EXPLAINED THEY HAD RESORTED TO THIS PROCEDURE
SINCE THE FY-84 MILITARY AID REQUEST FOR EL SALVADOR WAS
SERIOUSLY UNDERFUNDED IN THE SECOND CONTINUING RESOLUTION
OF NOVEMBER 1983; IT NOW APPEARS THE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEES WILL NOT MARK UP THE FY-84 SUPPLEMENTAL FOREIGN
AID APPROPRIATIONS UNTIL JUNE; AND THERE IS URGENT NEED
FOR THE REQUESTED MILITARY AID IN EL SALVADOR TO HELP
ASSURE THE SECURITY OF THE ELECTIONS.
3. ON MARCH 15 THE FULL SENATE APPROVED AN AMENDMENT
OFFERED BY SENATOR DANFOR?1 'TO THE LOW-INCOME ENERGY
ASSISTANCE BILL TO ADO ON 90 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY
FOOD AID FOR AFRICA. THIS ACTION, TAKEN BY VOICE VOTE,
STRIPPED THE AFRICA FOOD AID BILL WITH ITS EL SALVADOR
AMENDMENT INCLUDED OF MOST OF THE FOOD AID COMPONENT,
LEAVING THE BILL MAINLY AN EL SALVADOR EMERGENCY AID
MEASURE WITH VARIOUS OTHER CONTROVERSIAL AMENDMENTS
INCLUDED.
4. CENTRAL AMERICA INITIATIVE: AFTER EXTENDED DEBATE
AMONG THE 1MOCRATIS ON THE HOUSE fORETGP AffAIRS
COf !TTEE, THE COMMITTEE ON MARCH 14 VOTED TO SPLIT OFF
THE CENTRAL AMERICA PORTION OF THE FOREIGN AID BILL AND
REPORT OUT TWO SEPARATE BILLS. A WORLDWIDE FOREIGN AID
AUTHORIZATION BILL, EXCLUDING CENTRAL AMERICA, WAS
REPORTED OUT ON MARCH 15. ACTION ON THE COMMITTEE'S
VERSION OF A CENTRAL AMERICA AID BILL -- WHICH IS LIKELY
TO BE CLOSE TO THE TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE DRAFT OF THE
WESTERN HEMISPHERE SUBCOMMITTEE -- WAS DEFERRED UNTIL
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CONFIDENTIAL
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AFTER THE MARCH 25 ELECTIONS IN EL SALVADOR.
5. FUTURE ACTION: AS NOTED ABOVE, THE EL SALVADOR
EMERGENCY AID REQUEST IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE SENATE
FLOOR SOMETIME THIS WEEK. THE HELMS SUBCOMMITTEE ON
WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE WILL HOLD HEARINGS ON THE CENTRAL AMERICA
INITIATIVE ON MARCH 20. THE FULL FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE WILL BEGIN ITS MARK-UP OF THE WORLDWIDE FOREIGN
AID BILL, OF WHICH THE CENTRAL AMERICA PACKAGE IS A PART,
A WEEK LATER ON MARCH 27. HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
CHAIRMAN FASCELL HAS NOT INDICATED WHEN THE COMMITTEE WILL
CONSIDER THE CENTRAL AMERICA AID BILL', NOR HAS THE HOUSE
LEADERSHIP YET SCHEDULED FLOOR ACTION ON THE WORLDWIDE
BILL (EXCLUDING CENTRAL AMERICA). SHULTZ
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/02 : CIA-RDP90BO137OR000801120110-8