The White House has confirmed that the Administration is reviewing the foreign aid program for the “transitional quarter” which involves increased allocations for Israel and some 53 other countries for military and economic supporting assistance. But Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, a key member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has authorized a 25 percent aid supplement to cover the transitional quarter, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency yesterday that “it is of little importance that this matter is now under review.”
Humphrey said “The Senate committee has acted and the full Senate is set to act next week. Congress authorizes funds and in this case the Senate committee acted after I had discussed the matter with the Secretary of State.”
PLANS UNDER REVIEW
A White House source, asked yesterday by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency whether the Administration shifted its position on the program for the three-month period July 1-Sept. 30 marking the transition between the 1976 and 1977 fiscal years, said “I will not comment on the conversations between the President and his advisors but on the general question I can say the status of our security assistance legislation and plans for the transitional quarter are currently under review.”
The White House comment coincided with an announcement by the State Department earlier yesterday that the aid package for the transitional quarter was under review by the Administration. According to Humphrey, it had been agreed to last week by Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger.
In addition to the authorization legislation on which the Senate will act next week, both houses of Congress must approve an appropriations bill. The House International Relations Committee, meanwhile, is considering two measures for extending the aid package over the transitional quarter. One, identical to the Senate committee’s measure, would authorize 25 percent of the 1976 fiscal budget; another, reportedly preferred by the Administration, would be an open-ended authorization package.
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