Sen. Mark Hatfield (R. Ore.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee confirmed today that the Reagan Administration has urged his committee to reject the $475 million his subcommittee has added onto the Administration’s request for Israel. He said that Philip Habib, the Administration’s special Mideast envoy, had called him from Europe and National Security Advisor William Clark had asked him at the White House to have the additional funds deleted.
Hatfield, appearing on NBC-TV’s “Face the Nation” program and who had also opposed the additional aid, said he agreed to the Administration’s request not to have a vote on the Israeli aid. The Israeli allocation was passed as part of the full foreign aid bill which was adopted by voice vote.
Hatfield noted that the Senate wanted to finish the appropriations procedure even though the House has no appropriations bill yet and so the Israeli aid issue will not come up this year. He also said that the additional aid to Israel was a reflection of-the “strong support for Israel in the Senate.”
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