Compromise Lets Mexico Keep Anti-Drug Certification

The White House and key senators reached agreement Wednesday night on a compromise resolution that chastises Mexico as a weak ally in the drug war but fails to overturn President Clinton’s recent certification that the Mexicans have cooperated fully in the anti-narcotics effort.

The resolution should ease anxieties both in the White House and Mexico. Any successful attempt by Congress to decertify Mexico would probably have infuriated the Mexicans and prompted demands that Clinton cancel his scheduled state visit there in April.

The accord was announced by the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who called the resolution “a definite statement by the Senate that the status quo is not acceptable.” Feinstein originally had introduced a resolution aimed at overturning the certification issued by Clinton at the end of February.

The compromise is scheduled to come to a vote on the floor of the Senate today and is expected to pass by an overwhelming margin. Clinton, according to aides to Feinstein, has promised to sign the bill if it is accepted by the House.

The House passed a resolution last week that would decertify Mexico but delay implementation of that action for 90 days to give the Mexican government a chance to improve its record on drugs. But its margin of passage was too narrow to override a presidential veto, which Clinton had promised if the House measure were sent to him.

Congress has 30 days to overturn a presidential certification. Because the Senate is not attempting to do that now, there is no time limit on passage of the resolution worked out Wednesday night. But Senate sponsors want it passed before Congress begins its Easter recess Friday.

Decertifying Mexico as a cooperative partner in the fight against drugs would have caused economic sanctions to take effect. The push in Congress for decertification began after recent revelations that Mexico had dismissed its top narcotics official because he allegedly consorted with members of a major drug cartel.

The compromise resolution attempts to soften the burden on Mexico by asking both governments for reforms in the war on drugs. The resolution asks that both the United States and Mexico dismantle drug cartels, strengthen working relationships between agents of their governments, implement more effective money-laundering laws, eradicate drug crops, and strengthen maritime and air cooperation.

But the resolution singles out Mexico by calling for it to remove and prosecute corrupt officials.

The resolution would require Clinton to report to Congress by Sept. 1 on the progress being made in these areas. Originally, it would have required Congress to vote on whether the progress was adequate. Administration officials objected to that provision, according to a Senate staff aide, and it was removed from the resolution Wednesday night.

A Senate staff member said that another obstacle to passage of the resolution had been “worked out” between Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi.

Earlier, Daschle had threatened to block consideration of the resolution unless Republican leaders agreed to set a date for a vote on ratifying the Chemical Weapons Treaty, which has been bottled up in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by its Republican chairman, Jesse Helms of North Carolina.

But sources said that Lott had assured Daschle that the treaty would be taken up after the recess, although the GOP leader did not fix a date. “Lott told Daschle, ‘Trust me,’ ” a Senate aide said.

Times staff writer Janet Hook contributed to this report.