GOP MAKES NEW PUSH TO AID KOSOVO, COLOMBIA

WASHINGTON (AP) - Under Pentagon pressure, congressional leaders want to
revive and pass this month a stalled multibillion-dollar spending package
for Colombia, U.S. peacekeepers in Kosovo and domestic disasters.

The House approved a $13 billion measure two months ago. It has languished
in the Senate because of Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., who said the
bill was expensive and too time-consuming. The needs could be still be met,
he argued, if Congress instead included the money in regular spending bills
and passed them quickly.

Now, Lott and House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., would like to send the
money, in a still undetermined amount, to President Clinton by June 30,
when lawmakers are to begin a weeklong Fourth of July recess, say
congressional aides from both parties, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

June 30 also is the day before the Army says it will have to start
curtailing minor construction, civilian hiring and other activities unless
it receives $1.5 billion the bill contains. Republicans do not want such
cutbacks blamed on them, particularly in an election year.

A message Army headquarters recently sent field commanders demanded details
on how they would save 8 percent of their budgets beginning July 1 if
Congress did not quickly provide the money. Besides construction and hiring
reductions, the letter suggested supply and maintenance cuts.

"Military prudence dictates we must plan now for the worst case," in which
the money would not be provided until later this year, the message said.
The administration has been pressuring GOP leaders for weeks to act on the
bill. Clinton said this month it is needed for "pressing national needs."

"It is an encouraging sign that, after many months, they now finally appear
to be ready to make progress on these essential needs," White House budget
office spokeswoman Linda Ricci said Friday.

Lott spokesman John Czwartacki said Friday the bill would be addressed
"sooner rather than later."

"The Clinton administration's actions, which have required a depletion in
the Pentagon's budget, concern us greatly, and that's why Congress, like
every year, will address the shortfall," Czwartacki said.

Czwartacki's reference was to Clinton's deployment of 5,900 U.S. troops to
serve as peacekeepers in Kosovo, an action Congress never formally approved.

Clinton requested $5.2 billion at the beginning of this year, an amount
that grew to $5.5 billion. Most is for helping fight drug producers in
Colombia, which supplies most of the cocaine used in the United States;
U.S. troops in Kosovo; and the costs of disasters including last
September's Hurricane Floyd, which walloped North Carolina and other
Eastern states.

The House approved its $13 billion version of the bill on March 30, pumping
up the money Clinton sought for the Pentagon and domestic natural disasters
and other projects at home.

Lott said he supported the money for Colombia, Kosovo and disasters, but
said the measure was too costly and would take too much of the Senate's time.

Instead, he said the Senate would take pieces of the bill - but not all of
it - and add them to several regular spending bills for fiscal 2001.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved three bills last month that
include almost $9 billion for Kosovo, Colombia and disasters. Little has
happened since.

Now, the Senate plans to debate one of those bills Tuesday, a $13.4 billion
foreign aid bill containing $934 million for Colombia. The money is for
training Colombian troops, buying helicopters and other purposes.

The Colombia money is expected to be challenged both by Democrats who would
rather see the money spent domestically to prevent drug use and Republicans
reluctant to get involved in a South American civil war.

Nevertheless, the aid is expected to survive. It may be combined eventually
with the money for Kosovo and disasters and placed on a routine military
construction bill, which would be likely to move quickly through Congress.

The aid package also is expected to carry money for New Mexico to rebuild
from its recent wildfires. The price tag for that is not yet known.