THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090764
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
The House approved a foreign-aid bill Thursday that calls for the United States to go against its Western allies and unilaterally lift the arms embargo against Bosnia.
The bill faces a dubious reception in the Senate and a certain veto by President Clinton if it survives Congress in its present form.
As the clock wound down on the debate, members adopted an amendment by Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., with wide bipartisan support, directing Clinton to end a ban on arm shipments to the Bosnian government.
Supporters said heavy weapons would help Bosnians defend against Serb forces winning a civil war there.
The 317-99 vote in favor of Hoyer's proposal sent a loud message to the Clinton administration, which opposed the amendment, and to the United Nations and NATO that Congress is prepared to respond to repeated Bosnian requests for artillery, tanks, armored troop carriers, rocket-launchers and other heavy weapons to stave off Serbian advances.
Despite large majorities in both parties favoring Hoyer's amendment, his proposal ignited a ferocious debate over whether removing the embargo would prompt an escalation and spread of the Yugoslav conflict - and draw the United States into the fray.
In defending his move, Hoyer said negotiations and U.N. peacekeeping efforts have failed in Bosnia and simply encouraged Serb aggressors to persist in driving out the Muslim-led government.
Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., warned that the House vote ``will be construed as a move to intensify the war.''
Shortly after the adoption of Hoyer's amendment, the House passed the foreign-aid bill by a 222-192 vote, largely along party lines, with Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats opposed. The margin was well short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a veto.
Clinton has denounced many of the bill's features as ``the most isolationist proposals to come before Congress in the last 50 years,'' particularly the provisions to curtail U.S. participation in international peacekeeping efforts and those cutting economic aid to poor nations.
The measure also calls for the shutdown of three postwar agencies - the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, United States Information Agency and the Agency for International Development - whose functions would be lumped under the State Department.
The measure condemns China for its human rights abuses, threatens to halt economic aid to Russia if it sells nuclear technology to Iran, cuts America's contribution to U.N. population control programs, and would privatize the government's program to promote investment abroad. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
HOW THEY VOTED
A ``yes'' vote is a vote to pass the bill.
Herbert Bateman, R-Va. No
Owen B. Pickett, D-Va. Yes
Robert C. Scott, D-Va. Yes
Norman Sisisky, D-Va. No
Eva Clayton, D-N.C. Yes
Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C. Yes
by CNB