The World : Contra Aid Plan Rejected

The White House rejected a proposal by Senate Democrats for non-lethal aid to Nicaragua’s Contras, but it held out hope that further compromise might lead to an acceptable package. On Capitol Hill, the unsettled issue was holding up action on an emergency money bill while Republican senators worked on a counterproposal that would make it easier for Congress to approve military aid for the rebels later this year. The Deomocratic proposal, which defers action on military aid, does not encourage “hope for freedom and democracy in Nicaragua,” White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater asserted. But Fitzwater added that existing non-lethal aid doesn’t run out until Sept. 30, leaving time to work out a compromise.