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Busy day on Capitol Hill, this 4th day of March in 1988 with special focus on the Civil War in Nicaragua.
The House of Representatives one month after defeating President Ronald Reagan’s request for military aid to the Nicaraguan contras yesterday voted down a Democratic alternative package of non-lethal aid leaving the future of US aid and the fate of the rebel force in a confused stalemate The House Democratic leadership which had put forward the $30 6-million alternative package and the Republican minority which opposed it blamed each other for the outcome Both parties said it was up’ to the other to propose the next move -Yet they agreed that the rebel force inside Nicaragua — estimated at 10000 to 15000 — would shortly run out of food supplies as a result of yesterday’s surprise vote putting pressure on both parties to come up with an alternative – – Spokesmen for both parties had predicted a narrow Democratic victory dnd the majority party eked out a narrow five-vote majority in the initial test of the – package which was Voted on as an amendment to a Republican proposal and included sharp restrictions on how the rebels could use the money – But a second vote on final passage lost by just eight votes 216-208 as liberal Democrats opposed to the contras joined Republicans who thought the package too weak in voting it down The strategy to defeat the Democratic package seemed to reflect the contention of conservative Republicans who argued that a dear setback for the – policy and a rout of the contras would serve the party better during a presidential election year than a muddy compromise plan under which the contras would gradually fade from the scene.
Over to the UN where Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed yesterday on a nine-month timetable for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan and said half the soldiers should be out of the country in the first 90 days. The two points had long hindered progress toward a settlement aimed at ending nine years of fighting in Afghanistan, where an estimated 115,000 Soviet troops are backing the government against Muslim guerrillas. Agreement on the withdrawal timetable had been widely expected.
And photographs of disgraced television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart in the company of a prostitute will be posted on church bulletin boards if defrocked minister Marvin Gorman is not allowed to proceed with a $90 million defamation against him, says Gorman s attorney. The appeals body for the Assemblies of God will hold a special meeting this month to decide the final punishment of TV preacher Jimmy Swaggart, who is embroiled in a sex scandal and now says demon-s arc attacking him. The Assemblies of God said in a statement Thursday that the 250-mcmber Executive Presbytery of the church’s General Council will meet March 28 at headquarters in Springfield, Mo., to resolve disagreements over Swaggart’s punishment. The national church ordered the state officials to stiffen the penalty, but they refused this week during a session that became so intense some ministers began speaking in tongues. “There was such prayer and concern about Jimmy Swaggart in that room that some people spoke in tongues,” said the Rev. Gerald Lewis, a state council member. “The speaking of tongues was something that just happened during the prayer. What we heard had nothing to do with our decision.”
Strange day, and along with the ongoing Contra issues on Capitol Hill, that’s just a small slice of what went on, this March 4, 1988 as reported by The CBS World News Roundup.
