HOUSE BACKING COLOMBIA DRUG-FIGHTING AID

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday
backed President Clinton's bid to give Colombia $1.7 billion in military
training and equipment to fight its illegal drug trade.

Plowing through amendments on a $13 billion spending bill, lawmakers
dismissed arguments from an unusual alliance of liberal Democrats and
conservative Republicans that Clinton's plan could drag the United States
into a military quagmire in Latin America and that the money would be
better spent to fight drug abuse here.

The House was set on Thursday to complete the emergency bill for the
Colombia effort, military readiness and disaster relief, after voting
289-130 to add $4 billion more for the Pentagon to the original $9 billion
bill.

Clinton, who originally sought $5 billion for Colombia, Kosovo peacekeeping
operations, and various emergency needs, asked Congress to clear the money
quickly. But with some Republicans in the Senate alarmed by the swelling
House bill, the Senate has not yet taken up its package.

Enjoying rare backing from top Republicans, Clinton pushed the plan to help
Colombian President Andres Pastrana quell drug trafficking that has fueled
guerrilla warfare in that country and yields most of the cocaine and heroin
that reaches U.S. streets.

Clinton urged Congress to pass the measure "to help keep illegal drugs out
of our nation by supporting the Colombian government's courageous fight
against drug traffickers."

But some of his fellow Democrats disagreed.

"We're being asked to enter into a huge new commitment to underwrite a war
in Colombia," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, senior Appropriations
Committee Democrat.

Rejects Delay In Military Aid

Voting 239-186, the House rejected Obey's amendment to delay $522 million
in military help to give Congress time to review the plan, but free
remaining money for economic and agricultural aid. The House later rejected
a measure pushed by some conservative Republicans to cut all $1.7 billion.

Lawmakers agreed to make release of military aid contingent on Pastrana's
government meeting human rights conditions, but critics complained that a
provision for a presidential waiver of those conditions made that almost
meaningless.

The $1.7 billion is for the U.S. share of a $7.5 billion international
effort to help shore up the Pastrana government, which is contending with
rebels in control of much of the southern coca-producing part of the
country. More than half of the money would come from Colombia itself.

With the program, the United States would provide helicopters and help
train Colombia's military and national police to fight cocaine production
and trafficking.

Several Democrats said the program was too skewed to fighting guerrillas
while letting paramilitary groups also linked to the drug trade thrive.

"In Colombia, to suggest that only one side may be involved in drug-running
would be reinventing that country," said Rep. Jose Serrano of New York.

But Republicans said they were following directions of Clinton, the
Democrats' leader.

"I know that there appears to be an extreme lack of confidence in the
ability of the president of the United States to make these decisions but
nevertheless he is the president of the United States," said Rep. Sonny
Callahan of Alabama.

Hastert Pushes For Colombia Money

In a rare floor speech, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, an Illinois
Republican, urged his colleagues to approve the aid.

"I could tell you stories from my own experience, and tens of thousands of
families are destroyed because of what Colombian drugs ... are doing in
this country," he said.

The House bill also contains $2 billion Clinton sought to cover U.S.
peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, and more than doubles his $1 billion
request for relief to victims of floods and hurricanes that ravaged parts
of the East Coast last year.

Seizing a chance to boost the Pentagon's budget, House Republicans added
$1.6 billion to cover higher fuel costs and then added another $4 billion
to enhance defense operations they say have been short-changed under Clinton.

The House bill also has $600 million to help poor people pay heating and
cooling bills, $854 million to cover a shortfall in military health care
funds, and $600 million for repairs to highways and bridges damaged by
natural disasters.

Lawmakers narrowly defeated a Republican bid to trim $40 million for an
environmental cleanup of Vieques, the island off Puerto Rico with a Navy
bombing training range.

Facing protests from island residents, Clinton sought the money as part of
a deal in which residents will decide in a referendum whether to approve
future live-fire training.

The $13 billion bill may get trimmed in the Senate, where Republican Leader
Trent Lott of Mississippi has blasted the House plan as "bloated."

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican,
said he planned next week to start moving a $9 billion bill meeting
Clinton's $5 billion request for Colombia and Kosovo funds with an
additional $4 billion for the Pentagon and funds for disaster relief and
other uses.