Senate Rejects Military Aid Plan for Contras : Approves $27 Million in Non-Lethal Assistance; Democrats Critical of Administration Strategy

The Senate voted Wednesday against any immediate military aid for the Nicaraguan Contras and then narrowly approved $27 million worth of non-lethal assistance in a package that would allow a second vote next month on a renewed flow of weapons to the rebels.

Emerging from a political thicket that had delayed action for two weeks, the Senate adopted a Democratic proposal fashioned by Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) by a vote of 49 to 47. Not a single Republican voted for the plan.

Earlier, splitting mainly along party lines, the Senate killed a rival plan by Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) to provide $36.3 million worth of military assistance to the Contras in addition to $27 million in humanitarian aid. That vote was 57 to 39.

Even if the Byrd plan passes the House, where Democratic leaders favor it, the proposal may be vetoed by President Reagan.

The debate ended with an emotional attack on the White House from Byrd and other Democratic senators, who said they resented the President’s failure to support their proposal after Dole’s amendment was tabled.

“I’m sick and tired of dealing with the White House that has no more steel in its guts than this White House,” Byrd exploded. “I’m sick and tired of the White House making a fool out of me.”

Without a signal from the White House to support Byrd’s plan, Sen. David L. Boren (D-Okla.) declared, he would not negotiate with the Reagan Administration again.

Dole said he had requested a letter from Reagan endorsing the Byrd plan, which is an amendment to the defense appropriations bill, if the Senate rejected the Republican approach.

But he said the White House did not send it because the Administration felt the Democratic proposal would not achieve its purpose of aiding the rebel forces. Furthermore, the GOP leader protested against what he termed “White House-bashing.”

The unusually sharp comments illustrated the deep divisions within the Senate over the issue of providing renewed military aid to the Contras after hopes were raised that the Nicaraguan civil war might be settled during peace negotiations between the rebels and the Sandinista regime. Those talks broke off in June, however.

Boren said the Senate missed an opportunity to speak with a single voice on the Byrd amendment. Instead, he said, it continued the partisan polarization on the issue that began seven years ago, when Reagan launched his program of aiding the rebels.

Under Byrd’s plan, $16.3-million worth of arms previously approved by Congress but never delivered would be sent to the Contras if Reagan justified the shipment and Congress approved it before adjourning for the year in early October.

Filibuster Guarantee

The House, where opposition to military aid for the rebels is considered to be greater than in the Senate, would have to vote first on any such request under Byrd’s complex scheme. Byrd’s plan, however, contains a guarantee against a Senate filibuster on the Contra issue next month in the closing days of the session.

Republican critics objected that the Byrd amendment could be a trap for the President because the House might add to the Pentagon money bill some arms control provisions that Reagan dislikes, counterbalancing the Contra aid he supports.

Dole warned that Reagan would veto the entire bill rather than agree to unacceptable amendments, even if it meant jettisoning the Contra funds.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that Alfredo Cesar, a Contra leader, had expressed opposition to the Byrd plan on the grounds that it would not provide military aid or deliver medicine, food and other supplies to rebel troops inside Nicaragua.

‘Politics Has Prevailed’

But Boren, one of the staunchest backers of Contra military aid, denounced Reagan’s failure to support the Democratic plan, saying it was perceived as a measure entitled to bipartisan support.

“Politics has prevailed . . . over the national interest,” he said.

Forty-nine Democrats voted for the Byrd proposal, while 43 Republicans and four Democrats voted against it.

On the earlier roll call on Dole’s plan, 51 Democrats and six Republicans voted to kill it, while 37 Republicans and two Democrats voted against.

The Senate votes ended two weeks of backstage political wrangling over the issue of aid for the Contras, with Democrats showing surprising unity behind Byrd’s plan. Many Republicans, however, were skeptical that it would only provide a convenient campaign cover for Democrats on the issue.

Message to Ortega

Byrd argued that the plan would send a strong message to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that U.S. military assistance could be resumed this fall if he continued repressive policies, escalated attacks on the rebels or received increased arms from the Soviet Union to carry on the war.

Boren appealed to Republicans to support the Byrd plan on the grounds that it was the only way to make sure there would be a chance to vote this fall on resuming the flow of weapons to the rebels.

But Republican conservatives rejected Byrd’s plea, declaring that Contra leaders believed that approval of humanitarian aid alone might never be delivered to rebel forces inside Nicaragua.

Meanwhile, Cesar said a new round of peace negotiations between the rebels and the Sandinista government could be held early next month.

“It is basically up to the Sandinistas,” he said.

The Contras have said they are willing to negotiate, but only if the government agrees to hold the talks outside Nicaragua and releases several jailed opposition leaders.