The House Appropriations subcommittee on government operations has decided against special funding for the transitional quarter in the foreign military assistance appropriation bill and this action is expected to be adopted by the full House committee at its meeting late Monday.
Unless the Ford Administration submits a budget proposal for the three months this summer between fiscal year 1976 which ends June 30 and fiscal year 1977 that begins Oct. 1, the likelihood is the measure to be given to the House for debate will not include close to a billion dollars for the transitional quarter, affecting some 50 countries. More than half of this sum–about $556 million–is ticketed for Israel in authoriza tion measures approved by other Congressional bodies thus far.
The White House did not earmark any funds for the transitional quarter in budgeting for the current 15-month period that ends Sept. 30. The House appropriations subcommittee majority accordingly decided not to take that responsibility, an authoritative Congressional source told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
FURTHER ACTIONS REQUIRED
The full House is expected to follow the lead of its appropriations committee. However, the source said, should the Senate vote additional funds for the transitional quarter or should the White House submit a supplemental budgetary request, then the subcommittee will give that additional appropriation sympathetic consideration in the Senate-House conference to iron out the differences in the House and Senate measures the JTA was told.
At present, the Senate has voted an authorization bill that provides $2.24 billion for Israel plus 25 percent more for the transitional quarter Other authorizations include $750 million for Egypt; $50 million for Syria and $2.2 million for Jordan. In each case, an extra 25 percent is to be added, as in Israel’s allocation.
The House International Relations Committee also has voted an authorization measure with slightly larger sums for the individual countries, including a 25 percent increase for the transitional quarter. However, the language for the quarter differs from the Senate version, and should the House not alter it in its debate, that measure will require Senate-House conference discussion.
The House committee’s authorization bill goes before the House Rules Committee March 2 and consideration by the House as a whole probably will take place that same week.
Meanwhile, the Senate appropriations subcommittee dealing with the aid bill is marking time, JTA was told, on its legislation pending action in the House where money bills traditionally are generated first.
While the Administration appeared to have given its blessing for a transitional quarter funding when the House International Relations Committee adopted such a measure at the insistence of Rep. William Broomfield (R.Mich.), the committee’s ranking Republican member, it now appears that the White House did not signify the same approval for appropriations.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
