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House Votes Non-Lethal Contra Aid : Senate Approval of $47.9-Million Package Expected

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Times Staff Writer

Members of the Democratic-controlled House, declaring a truce of their own in the partisan warfare over U.S. policy in Central America, voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for a $47.9-million package of non-military aid to sustain the Nicaraguan rebels during cease-fire talks with the Sandinista government.

By a vote of 345 to 70, the legislation passed the House and was sent to the Senate, where it is likely to be approved as early as today. Although it falls far short of the military aid package originally sought by the Reagan Administration, White House officials said the President is “pleased with the outcome” of the House vote.

“We need aid in the worst way,” White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said.

No Rancorous Battle

It was the first time in at least 4 years that the House has considered assistance for the Contras without a rancorous battle between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats over the wisdom of President Reagan’s support for the anti-Sandinista rebels. As recently as March 3, the House voted down an aid package for the Contras.

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But the mood in the House changed dramatically last week after Contra and Sandinista leaders signed a 60-day truce that specifically allowed for resumption of airdrops of food, clothing and medicine to the rebels, who have received no U.S. assistance since Feb. 29.

The legislation, drafted during more than 2 days of closed-door meetings between House Republican and Democratic leaders, provides $17.7 million in non-military aid for the Contras, $17.7 million for children who have suffered as a result of Nicaragua’s civil war, $10 million to fund the commission overseeing the Nicaraguan truce and $2.5 million for administration of the assistance program by the Agency for International Development.

Hope for Era of Cooperation

Some House members expressed the hope that the bipartisan aid package would lead to a new era of cooperation between the two parties on the issue of U.S. policy in Central America.

“The Contra issue has been a terribly difficult one, and I hope that we have now forged a truly bipartisan relationship on this issue,” House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.) said.

Despite talk of cooperation, however, liberals and conservatives still hold sharply different views of the 6-year civil war in Nicaragua. “This legislation does nothing to resolve those differences,” Rep. Dick Cheney (R-Wyo.) said.

‘Keep Them Healthy’

Reagan and the Republicans chose to interpret the vote as a sign of continued U.S. support for the Contras. “It sends a message to the Contras that they are not abandoned, that we do care about them and want to keep them healthy and a viable force,” said Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), who helped to draft the compromise.

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But liberal Democrats portrayed it as a signal to the Contras that they could no longer expect to receive military aid from the United States, even if the peace talks collapse. “This war is over, whether some like it or not,” California Rep. Leon E. Panetta (D-Monterey) said.

The House Democratic leadership firmly rejected Reagan’s request that the legislation set out a procedure for an automatic vote on renewed military assistance if the Nicaraguan cease-fire talks end in stalemate. The request was based on the Republicans’ view that the Sandinistas cannot be trusted to keep the promises they have made to the Contras.

Instead, Wright wrote a letter to Minority Leader Robert H. Michel (R-Ill.) pledging that an Administration proposal for military aid would be considered “under a fair and orderly procedure” if the President determined that the Sandinistas were violating the terms of their truce agreement with the Contras.

Presidential Request

Wright promised that a presidential request for military aid would be reported to the floor within 10 working days after it is received by Congress. But he did not rule out the possibility that it could be amended or reported to the floor with an unfavorable committee recommendation.

The legislation specifies that the money can be used by the Contras only for food, clothing, shelter, medical services and medical supplies--not for weapons, aircraft or other military supplies. The relief fund for children is to be spent on prosthetic devices, rehabilitation, medicine, immunizations and relocation, according to the bill. In addition, $2.2 million is earmarked for the Yatama Indian resistance forces.

The bipartisan aid package was similar to one authored by the Democratic leadership that failed, 216 to 203, on March 3. Many conservatives who had voted against the earlier plan were in favor of the new package, conceding that was the most they could get from the Democrats. Most of the negative votes were cast by liberal Democrats who have long been opposed to any type of Contra aid.

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Even though conservatives supported the new bill, they were clearly still upset that Congress refused to send military assistance. The House voted, 219 to 211, last Feb. 3 against Reagan’s military aid request.

“These are not ‘sunshine patriots,’ ” said Michel, referring to the Contras. “They are men and boys, like you and me, who love freedom. Today my heart goes out to them. How badly we let them down.”

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