
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 25, 1990                   TAG: 9005250406
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

CONGRESS APPROVES LATIN AID

Congress, anxious to leave town for a Memorial Day recess, wrapped up work early today on a $4 billion spending bill including aid President Bush has urgently sought for new democratic governments in Panama and Nicaragua.

The House approved the measure on a 308-108 vote and the Senate followed suit with a voice vote shortly after midnight. That sent the bill to President Bush, who was expected to sign it into law quickly.

The bill also included millions of dollars for domestic programs in the current fiscal year. But from Bush's standpoint, the most important items were $300 million to bolster the struggling new government of Violeta Chamorro in Nicaragua, and $420 million to help the economy of Panama recover from U.S. trade sanctions and last December's invasion.

Bush asked for the aid months ago, and has repeatedly hammered Capitol Hill for what he said were delays that could jeopardize fledgling elected governments in the two Central American countries.

But to Congress, where foreign aid remains an unpopular item, more important was more than $3 billion in new "emergency" spending for dozens of domestic programs, from food stamps and veterans benefits to a fish farm in Arkansas.

In what amounts to the first application of a "peace dividend" from reduced East-West tensions, roughly half of the new spending is being paid for by cuts in this year's proposed Pentagon budget - cuts agreed to by the administration.

Some of the additional spending, such as a $185 million FBI automated fingerprint lab planned for Clarksburg, W.Va., was attached by powerful lawmakers seeking favors for their home states and districts. The fingerprint plant was added by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.

The bulk of the domestic additions were items wanted by both Congress and the administration, such as the $1.2 billion needed to make up a shortfall in food stamp funds for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30; $545 million for veterans benefits; $166 million for Head Start, and $432 million for fighting forest fires.

Among other additions were:

Directions for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to spend $28.4 million in previously appropriated funds for nearly 40 projects wanted by members of Congress.

An order for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to build an experimental fish farming laboratory at Stuttgart, Ark., the state of Democratic Appropriations Committee member Sen. Dale Bumpers, a Democrat.

by CNB