Prospects Fade for U.S. Aid to Soviet Emigrants

Prospects for a US government fund of $50 million to be administered by the State Department to help resettle Soviet emigrants, most of whom are Jews, faded today. Senate-House conferees remained deadlocked on an authorization measure for foreign aid and with members of both houses eager for adjournment this Saturday, it appeared unlikely that the legislative hurdles will be overcome in time.

The conferees for authorization, representing the Senate Foreign Relations and the House Foreign Affairs Committees, have failed in three meetings in the past two weeks to reach an accommodation on a Senate provision that bars funds for military bases overseas unless the Senate first approves of the agreements for the bases as treaties.

Once the authorization measure is acceptable to both houses, the two branches of Congress would still have to adjust differences in their legislation for appropriations to fund the categories in the authorization bill. While in rare instances appropriation legislation has been adopted without an authorization bill, this is considered unlikely with regard to foreign aid.

Apart from the funding for Soviet Jews, which was not in the 1972 budget, the sums earmarked for Israel in both fiscal years are about the same. In both years $500 million were earmarked for Israel in credits to buy military equipment. The House proposed $50 million in supporting economic assistance for this year, the same which the Congress allowed in the last budget, but the Senate has earmarked $35 million more. This is subject to adjustment in conference.