The Senate today adopted the House version of the resolution to continue the U.S. foreign aid program and sent the measure to President Ford for signing into law. Under the resolution, U.S. governmental spending on foreign aid is held to the levels of the 1973-74 program that ended last June 30 and extended since then in the absence of new legislation that is still pending.
Israel, therefore, will receive an economic assistance grant at the annual rate of $50 million and military sales credit of $300 million. (See P.3 for special analysis on future of U.S. aid to Israel.)
The amendment by Sen. Walter Mondale (D.Minn.) to the continuing resolution, which would have given Israel $250 million in economic grants and $100 million in military grants and an additional $200 million in military credits was killed in the Senate-House Conference discussions of the aid bill. The Senate had passed the Mondale amendment by a vote of 62-25. but Administration lobbyists succeeded in convincing the conferees that if Israel received more money, Egypt, Syria and Jordan should also get the funds requested by the Administration. In no mood to prolong the resolution debate with governmental agencies, the Conference rejected all amendments to the continuing resolution itself.
NEW PROGRAM PENDING IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
The new foreign aid program for 1974-75 that will continue the program to next June 30 has been authorized by the Senate and is still pending in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Besides authorization by both Houses, the program will require appropriations approval. Authorization sets policy for the program and appropriation sets forth the dollars to be spent.
The new program that is pending provides $250 million in grant economic aid to Egypt, and earmarks conditionally $100 million for Syria. It also has those amounts specified by Mondale in his amendment to the continuing resolution for Israel alone. Mondale was reported by an aide as willing to forego revival of his measure on the Senate floor in view of confidence conveyed to him that the new program with the additional financing for Israel would be adopted by the current Congress before it adjourns in Jan.
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