After long delays in delivering American debt relief to Jordan, senior Republicans in Congress are now blocking the second part of a package the U.S. had promised Israel’s neighbor if it made peace with the Jewish state.
Complaining that they were not consulted, three members of the House Appropriations Committee sent a letter to President Clinton saying they will not approve the deal to provide Jordan with $200 million in military hardware until the White House makes a compelling case for the transfer.
Jordan’s aid package is one of a series of financial measures related to the peace process that have fallen victim to the squabbling over the federal budget between the White House and Capitol Hill.
Calling Jordan “an important ally and friend,” Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston (R-La.) and two Appropriations subcommittee chairmen wrote Clinton that they do not necessarily oppose the merits of the transfer.
They said, however, they would “without action on this proposed transfer” until the White House submits a formal written request and justifies how the transfer will be financed.
“We have yet to hear from you on this request, even though we understand it has already been presented to the government of Jordan by Secretary of Defense (William) Perry,” the lawmakers wrote Clinton.
“The Congress’ continued progress toward a balanced budget makes it imperative that you consult fully with the Congress prior to making new foreign aid commitments to foreign governments.”
Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Ala.), chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, and Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), chair of the subcommittee on national security, joined in the letter.
Gail Pressberg, director of Americans for Peace Now’s Washington office, said, “It appears that Livingston is sending a message more to the administration than to the Jordanians, and if I were the Jordanians, I wouldn’t take it as an anti-Jordan move.”
That, according to the Jordanian Embassy, is exactly how they are reacting.
“It’s a domestic process that we respect entirely and it has to take its course,” said Rania Atalla, a spokeswoman for the Jordanian Embassy. “It’s an issue between the executive branch and the legislative branch, more than an issue against Jordan as such.”
Earlier this year, the House Republican leadership delayed action on $275 million in debt relief for Jordan. That was followed by the record hold-up of the foreign aid bill, which included the lapsed Middle East Peace Facilitation Act.
The proposed military transfer to Jordan would include 12 F-16A fighters and four F-16Bs. All the aircraft are old, inactive models, but would be overhauled and upgraded prior to delivery.
Jordan’s military would also receive night vision equipment, one AC-130 gunship, one helicopter and training for fighter pilots.
Israel, as part of the deal, would provide maintenance and support for Jordanian F-16s, helping to defray costs that would have been incurred by the U.S.
We hope that when we have a chance to explain the security implications of this that Congress will understand that it’s an important step forward for Middle East security,” said Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon.
“It may be that we didn’t talk to everybody we were supposed to,” he said, “but we certainly have no desire to hide the facts of this deal.”
Bacon added that details still have to be worked out before the package is formally presented to the House Appropriations Committee.
The $200 million needed for new engines and other upgrades is expected to come from a variety of source, including funds from existing Pentagon accounts and funds already earmarked for Jordan in the current aid budget. The rest must be approved by Congress.
State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the administration is working hard to answer the questions raised in the letter, pledging that the deal will move forward “expeditiously.”
Meanwhile, pro-Israel activists do not anticipate that the action by the GOP lawmakers will undermine the deal.
“We are confident that a way will be found to provide the Jordanians with the planes,” said a spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. “All parties involved are in agreement on the overall policy.”
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