DEMOCRATIC LIBERALS IN SENATE DELAY VOTE ON INCREASING MILITARY AID TO EL SALVADOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100980007-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 30, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100980007-8
ARTICLE AFP ,FS
ON PAGE 12
MALL STREET JOURNAL
30 March 1984
'Democratic Liberals in Senate Delay Vote
On Increasing Military Aid to El Salvador
By DAVID ROGERS
Sacff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
W%'ASHINGTON-Senate Democratic lib-
erals, lacking the votes to reduce new mili-
tary aid to El Salvador, are exacting a price
by insisting on debate that will prevent any
final action until next week.
On a 72-23 roll-call vote, the Republican-
controlled chamber overwhelmingly de-
third instance involved sporadic sniper fire
at a Salvadoran naval base at La Union, ac-
cording to the testimony.
Mr. Kennedy has prepared an amend-
ment that would cut funding to S21 million,
but his proposal yesterday was directed at
tightening congressional authority over the
use of U.S. civilian or military personnel for
combat in Central America.
feated the first in a series of amendments to 1; Despite some dispute about the language,
be offered by Sen. Edward Kennedy. But the he said the provision didn't prohibit the de
Massachusetts liberal and other Democrats plozment of military trainers and advisers
appear confident they can stall approval of
the aid before the weekend.
"We're being pinched," said a State De-
partment official, and Republican leader-
ship sources were resigned last night that no
action would be taken before Monday.
. "You can table the amendment, but you
can't table the issue," Mr. Kennedy said.
Fueling the debate is resentment toward the
agreement struck last week by the GOP
leadership and senior Democrats on a com-
promise $61.8 million funding level for El
Salvador.
Taken with funds already appropriated
for El Salvador, the $61.8 million increase
currently in El Salvador. Unlike the War
Powers Act, however, it wouldn't have given
the president even an initial 60-day period to
send troops into hostilities without congres-
sional authority.
As first offered, the amendment applied
to American personnel in Honduras, El Sal-
vador and Nicaragua. When this draft was
quickly tabled on a 71-20 roll call, Sen. Ken-
nedy submitted a new version modified to
drop Honduras. By an almost identical mar-
gin, this lost on a direct vote late in the-day,
with only four Republicans joining 19 Demo-
crats, who were'opposed by Mr. Byrd and
Mr. Inouye.
would bring total military aid to $126.6 mil- The delay is an annoyance for the admin-
lion for fiscal 1984 ending Sept. 30, compared istration, which still must contend with the
with $81.3 million in fiscar 1983 and $82 mil- Democratic-controlled House. Rep. Clarence
lion in fiscal 1982. Long (D., Md.), chairman of the House Ap-
This $61.8 million proposal represents propriations Subcommittee on Foreign Oper-
about two-thirds of the Reagan administra- ations, is scheduled to leave today for El
tion's initial $92.8 million request. The Salvador and Honduras.
agreement followed private talks between ~ "I'm keeping an open mind," said Mr.
the administration, Majority Leader Howard Long. "I'm troubled by the aspect of
Baker of Tennessee, and Sen. Daniel Inouye
of Hawaii, ranking Democrat on the Appro-
priations Subcommittee on Foreign Opera-
whether any amount of money will do any
good."
Though there is speculation that the State
tions. Though Senate Minority Leader Rob- Department hopes to strike an agreement
ert Byrd of West Virginia subsequently said with Rep. Long to increase the current level
he supports the compromise, the agreement of military aid to El Salvador by $49 million,
irritated party liberals who only hours be- the administration said no agreement had
fore had pressed the caucus on the issue and been reached.
won appointment of a task force to help de- The Senate floor action came as leading
velop aposition, members in both chambers met in a private
In an effort to untangle itself last night, briefin with a former senior militan_offi%
the GOP leadership won adoption of the cial in El Salvador. The former official has
lower $61.8 million figure on a voice vote. I pr gvo conirov_ersv because of his de
This amounted to only tentative approval sCriDtion_Qf.gQrru_ption in the_Sah_adoLmili-
since the amendment was treated as a revi- urjy as well as ties between the CIA and a
sion in the original text of the bill, and still senior officer .allegedly linked,_.to_ .death
is amendable next week. s uads oFer_a_t_ing_.._~
in th_e_ Central American
-'
The debate came as Sen. James Sasser
(D.. Tern.) released written testimony by
ice Defense Department disclosing three in-
cidents in the past five months when Ameri-
can troops were fired upon in El Salvador.
Though no U.S. casualties occurred, in two
insurgent forces attacked a San Mi-
camp where 22 Arm y >d Navy special
rrtna.nini personnel...