DATE=4/4/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SENATE-COLOMBIA-KOSOVO (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-260953
BYLINE=DAVID SWAN
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 


INTRO:  President Clinton's request for money to help 
Colombia fight the drug war will apparently have to 
wait longer than the president hoped.  V-O-A's David 
Swan reports, the proposal has hit a procedural snag 
on Capitol Hill.


TEXT:  The Senate will not take up a so-called 
emergency supplemental spending bill, which includes 
one-point-seven billion dollars in anti-drug aid for 
Colombia.  Among other things, the legislation would 
also pay for peacekeeping in (the Yugoslav province 
of) Kosovo, and provide relief to hurricane victims on 
the eastern U-S coast.

The proposal cleared the House of Representatives last 
week by a wide margin (263 to 146).  But in the Senate 
it ran into strong resistance from fiscally 
conservative Republicans, especially Majority Leader 
Trent Lott.  Mr. Lott argued the 12-point-seven-
billion dollar package had grown too costly, and would 
use up too much of the government budget surplus.  As 
a result of his opposition, the emergency spending 
measure has now been put aside.

Mr. Lott says the anti-drug funds, peacekeeping money 
and other parts of the bill can be split off and 
attached to other spending legislation.  But the White 
House attacked the move, warning it will hurt U-S 
interests and the armed forces' readiness.  The Senate 
Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, joined in criticizing 
the Republican approach.

            // Daschle act //

      This was a mistake.  The House moved it (the 
      bill) quickly for a reason.  There's an urgency, 
      an immediacy to the need here.  And I'm very 
      disappointed that we don't recognize the same 
      urgency and immediacy here.  I shouldn't say we.  
      They, the Republicans, the Republican 
      leadership.  It's a mistake not to take up the 
      supplemental (spending bill).


            // end act //

It is not clear how long the funds for Colombia and 
elsewhere might be delayed.  The head of the 
Pentagon's Southern Command, Marine General Charles 
Wilhelm, urged senators (Tuesday) not to hold up the 
money, calling it crucial to the fight against the 
drug trade. (Signed)



NEB/DS/PT




04-Apr-2000 17:45 PM EDT (04-Apr-2000 2145 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.