Pubdate: Thu, 30 Mar 2000 Source: Reuters Copyright: 2000 Reuters Limited. Author: Vicki Allen HOUSE BACKING COLOMBIA DRUG-FIGHTING AID WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday backed President Clinton's bid to give Colombia $1.7 billion in military training and equipment to fight its illegal drug trade. Plowing through amendments on a $13 billion spending bill, lawmakers dismissed arguments from an unusual alliance of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans that Clinton's plan could drag the United States into a military quagmire in Latin America and that the money would be better spent to fight drug abuse here. The House was set on Thursday to complete the emergency bill for the Colombia effort, military readiness and disaster relief, after voting 289-130 to add $4 billion more for the Pentagon to the original $9 billion bill. Clinton, who originally sought $5 billion for Colombia, Kosovo peacekeeping operations, and various emergency needs, asked Congress to clear the money quickly. But with some Republicans in the Senate alarmed by the swelling House bill, the Senate has not yet taken up its package. Enjoying rare backing from top Republicans, Clinton pushed the plan to help Colombian President Andres Pastrana quell drug trafficking that has fueled guerrilla warfare in that country and yields most of the cocaine and heroin that reaches U.S. streets. Clinton urged Congress to pass the measure "to help keep illegal drugs out of our nation by supporting the Colombian government's courageous fight against drug traffickers." But some of his fellow Democrats disagreed. "We're being asked to enter into a huge new commitment to underwrite a war in Colombia," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, senior Appropriations Committee Democrat. Rejects Delay In Military Aid Voting 239-186, the House rejected Obey's amendment to delay $522 million in military help to give Congress time to review the plan, but free remaining money for economic and agricultural aid. The House later rejected a measure pushed by some conservative Republicans to cut all $1.7 billion. Lawmakers agreed to make release of military aid contingent on Pastrana's government meeting human rights conditions, but critics complained that a provision for a presidential waiver of those conditions made that almost meaningless. The $1.7 billion is for the U.S. share of a $7.5 billion international effort to help shore up the Pastrana government, which is contending with rebels in control of much of the southern coca-producing part of the country. More than half of the money would come from Colombia itself. With the program, the United States would provide helicopters and help train Colombia's military and national police to fight cocaine production and trafficking. Several Democrats said the program was too skewed to fighting guerrillas while letting paramilitary groups also linked to the drug trade thrive. "In Colombia, to suggest that only one side may be involved in drug-running would be reinventing that country," said Rep. Jose Serrano of New York. But Republicans said they were following directions of Clinton, the Democrats' leader. "I know that there appears to be an extreme lack of confidence in the ability of the president of the United States to make these decisions but nevertheless he is the president of the United States," said Rep. Sonny Callahan of Alabama. Hastert Pushes For Colombia Money In a rare floor speech, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois Republican, urged his colleagues to approve the aid. "I could tell you stories from my own experience, and tens of thousands of families are destroyed because of what Colombian drugs ... are doing in this country," he said. The House bill also contains $2 billion Clinton sought to cover U.S. peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, and more than doubles his $1 billion request for relief to victims of floods and hurricanes that ravaged parts of the East Coast last year. Seizing a chance to boost the Pentagon's budget, House Republicans added $1.6 billion to cover higher fuel costs and then added another $4 billion to enhance defense operations they say have been short-changed under Clinton. The House bill also has $600 million to help poor people pay heating and cooling bills, $854 million to cover a shortfall in military health care funds, and $600 million for repairs to highways and bridges damaged by natural disasters. Lawmakers narrowly defeated a Republican bid to trim $40 million for an environmental cleanup of Vieques, the island off Puerto Rico with a Navy bombing training range. Facing protests from island residents, Clinton sought the money as part of a deal in which residents will decide in a referendum whether to approve future live-fire training. The $13 billion bill may get trimmed in the Senate, where Republican Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi has blasted the House plan as "bloated." Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, said he planned next week to start moving a $9 billion bill meeting Clinton's $5 billion request for Colombia and Kosovo funds with an additional $4 billion for the Pentagon and funds for disaster relief and other uses. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D