Cristiani Gets Mixed Reviews on Capitol Hill : Foreign aid: The Salvadoran president is lobbying to avert suspension of military assistance.

President Alfredo Cristiani of El Salvador held intensive talks with key lawmakers Thursday in an effort to persuade Congress not to suspend military aid to his embattled government because of the recent slayings of six Jesuit priests and other human rights abuses.

But after a day of consultations, including a meeting at the White House with President Bush, it was apparent that the Salvadoran leader had done little to slow the momentum toward what one Democratic senator said is certain to be a “major debate over aid to El Salvador” later this year.

Republicans and Democrats differed sharply over whether the assurances that Cristiani gave them will be enough to assure a continuation of U.S. aid.

The Administration hopes to raise military and economic aid to El Salvador to $375.4 million next year, from $313.6 million this year.

The Salvadoran leader was praised by Bush and the Republican lawmakers, with whom he met separately, for his “commitment to democracy.” They also praised his courage in ordering an investigation that has led to the arrests of an army colonel and eight other Salvadoran soldiers in the murders of the six priests, their housekeeper and her daughter last November.

“He’s been a shining example to all of us,” Bush said of Cristiani. “I support him now, and I will support him in the future.”

“We discussed the investigation in great detail,” said Indiana Sen. Richard G. Lugar, one of several Republican senators invited to a meeting with Cristiani by Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas. Lugar, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, added that Cristiani gave the senators his “strong assurances” that the investigation into the murders will continue, even if it implicates more senior military officers.

Many of the Democratic lawmakers whom Cristiani met remained skeptical, however.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) said that, while he does not question Cristiani’s “sincerity and determination,” he remains “concerned that there may be others, high up in the military, who will hamper the investigation.”

The White House, first under President Reagan and now under Bush, has consistently fought efforts by Democrats to suspend aid to El Salvador because of human-rights violations. But the killings of the priests refired the debate.

The main purpose of Cristiani’s visit was to convince lawmakers that his government is vigorously investigating the murders.

Congressional sources said Democrats questioned Cristiani in detail about the progress of the investigation, the possibility of involvement by more senior military officers and the president’s control over the armed forces.