Reagan Stays Aloof on Contra Aid Plan

The White House, tacitly acknowledging that its hard-sell techniques have alienated too many members of Congress, surprisingly opted not to take the lead in the renewed campaign for Contra aid and instead appealed Tuesday to its allies in the House and Senate to come up with the needed supplies for the rebels.

President Reagan, in a meeting with House Republicans, remained at arm’s length from the new bipartisan proposal for $48 million in mostly humanitarian aid. And in a speech later in the day, he urged local Republican officials to pressure Congress to act “because soon it may be too late.”

The White House approach reflects the particularly difficult situation that Reagan finds himself in. While he is concerned that one of his chief foreign-policy priorities is withering on the battlefield, he also is worried about accusations that he is exploiting a Nicaraguan incursion into Honduras for political purposes, especially during cease-fire negotiations in Nicaragua.

Reagan faced such charges last week after deploying more than 3,000 paratroopers and infantrymen to Honduras after the incursion.

“The more we keep it low-key and let Congress take the lead, it makes the Administration look better and (shows) that we’re trying to work with Congress,” one Administration official said, speaking on the condition that he not be identified by name.

On the other hand, the official said, if the White House pushes aggressively for the bipartisan proposal, which was disclosed one day after U.S. troops arrived in Honduras, “it makes it look like we started the Honduran crisis and we don’t want the cease-fire talks to work.”

“We don’t want to get the Congress bent out of shape on this one,” he said.

Although the official said the White House is likely to support the bipartisan plan advanced by Sen. David L. Boren (D-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R-Kan.), Reagan’s aides are waiting to see if any other plan looks better.

The $48-million proposal would pay for food, clothing and medical supplies for the rebels. It would also provide up to $5 million in military aid that had been destined for the Contras before congressional authority to ship assistance to them expired Feb. 29.

Democratic leaders have yet to pass judgment on the plan, but an aide to one of them predicted that it will fail to get the necessary support from them.

“I think the Administration’s policy is in a lot of trouble, and they’re wise to lay back,” the aide said.

White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said the Administration will show its hand soon, hoping that a Contra aid measure will be introduced this week and brought to a vote next week. But congressional leaders said that no vote is likely until after Congress returns from a weeklong Easter recess April 11.

In the meantime, Reagan said, “the Sandinista communists have launched an offensive against the freedom fighters, hoping to deliver a killer blow before anyone can come to their rescue.”

The President, making his remarks to the group of GOP officials invited to the White House, noted that it has been seven weeks since Congress turned aside his proposal to send $36.25 million in military and nonlethal supplies to the Contras.

Staff writer William J. Eaton contributed to this story.