Reagan Calls Contra Aid Last Chance

President Reagan portrayed his $36.2-million Contra aid package today as a last-chance effort to make the leftist government of Nicaragua comply with the regional peace process.

“One question must be answered: Sandinista promises of the past have been broken. Can we believe them now?” Reagan asked in a speech before the National Religious Broadcasters.

But as Reagan spoke, the anti-Contra lobbying intensified on Capitol Hill with some Democratic leaders expressing confidence that the House will reject the President’s aid package in a vote Wednesday.

Reagan, to the applause of his audience, argued that the steps the Nicaraguans have taken to comply with a regional peace process “can be reversed once the pressure from the freedom fighters is removed.”

‘Keep the Pressure On’

“The Sandinistas haven’t made one concession on their own without a threat hanging over them,” Reagan said.

“It’s just this simple--the way to democracy and peace in Nicaragua is to keep the pressure on the Sandinistas, taking irreversible steps to comply with the regional peace plan, and giving aid to the freedom fighters now,” Reagan said.

Earlier, a Republican senator who supports Reagan’s aid proposal said it is in jeopardy because the Administration has failed to give Congress a say in whether military aid in the proposal is released to the rebels.

“My view is that the chances for passage are diminished,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in an interview with a group of reporters.

Seeking Resolution

But White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater insisted today that the Administration is searching for a way to widen the congressional role in the process of determining whether the $3.6 million of so-called “lethal aid” in the package will be released.

The spokesman contended that the Administration is seeking some type of resolution to the problem.

“Consultations are a very key part of this in terms of the release of lethal aid,” Fitzwater said. “The President will assure the Congress that he intends to make them a part of the deliberations over certification and whether the release of the lethal aid would be necessary.”

Fitzwater hinted that Reagan will unveil a new position in a televised speech Tuesday night. He said of Reagan’s speech: “I assure you it will be newsworthy.”

‘A Lot of Options’

Reagan cannot alter his aid request but is examining “a lot of options” to reassure his critics, Fitzwater said.

During a White House meeting with Reagan and his top strategists last week, McCain said he asked whether anyone in the room believed that the Administration had the votes to win. “There was a silence,” McCain said, before one official spoke up and said Reagan had “a fighting chance.”

McCain said he argued for giving Congress a chance at the end of March to hold a second vote on whether the Central American peace process is making sufficient progress to withhold release of $3.6 million in weapons aid to the rebels, but was turned down.

Reagan’s package includes $3.6 million for ammunition and anti-aircraft missiles, which would be placed in escrow and released after March 31 if he decides that the regional peace process has not succeeded. The remaining $32-million so-called “non-lethal” aid covers everything from food and clothing to money to lease aircraft and buy communications gear for troops in the field.