BILL WOULD GRANT 1-YEAR HALT TO MEXICO ANTI-DRUG CERTIFICATION

WASHINGTON -- On the eve of President Bush's inaugural visit to Mexico,
Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein Thursday sought to soften a perennial sore
spot between the two countries.

After years of unsuccessfully pushing bills to sanction Mexico for
thwarting U.S. anti-drug efforts, Feinstein proposed suspending the annual
congressional exercise. She credited her change of heart to reform-minded
Mexican President Vicente Fox.

"I was very impressed by President Fox's determination to move ahead in an
orderly way," Feinstein said. "I believe he's sincere, I believe he's
committed ..., and so I am very happy to give him time to compile a record."

Feinstein met Fox recently at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland.

Fox has already taken some steps to address his country's longstanding
drug-corruption problems, including firing nearly four dozen Customs
Service officials. In their private meeting, Feinstein presented Fox with a
list of Mexican citizens the U.S. government would like to extradite on
drug-trafficking charges.

"This is a president who's truly concerned, and he assured me of that in my
meeting with him," Feinstein said.

Jointly introduced by Feinstein and two Texas Republican senators, Phil
Gramm and Kay Bailey Hutchison, the new bill gives Mexico a one-year waiver
from the annual drug-certification process. A 1986 law mandates that
countries not certified as cooperating are cut off from most direct U.S.
aid. Administrations also are required to vote against World Bank and other
international aid to the decertified countries.

Time is short; the 1986 law requires the administration to submit its
certification report by March 1.

Bush administration officials suggest they, too, are interested in
alternatives to the drug-certification debate that annually roils
U.S.-Mexico relations.

Some lawmakers, such as Feinstein, want to maintain the underlying
drug-certification process while giving Mexico a temporary break; others,
including Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, want to suspend it altogether.

"The president is interested in a number of ideas that are out there
concerning how best to assess the efforts of various countries on the
drug-trafficking side," a senior administration official said, speaking on
condition of anonymity. "And he's going to discuss all of those with
President Fox."

In previous years, citing the "tide of drugs flooding America's streets,"
Feinstein led a Senate charge urging the White House not to certify Mexico
as cooperating in anti-drug efforts. Her predecessor, former Republican
Sen. Pete Wilson, had led similar efforts.

Though the only countries that get fully decertified and lose U.S. aid have
been the likes of Libya, the annual debate has intensely irritated Mexican
officials.