Congress Urges Clinton: Just Say No To Mexico Bipartisan Push Made To Block Certification Of Mexico As Drug-Fighting Ally

In a rare display of bipartisan opposition to President Clinton, congressional lawmakers are circulating a letter urging him not to certify Mexico as an international ally in the war on drugs.

Although congressional leaders said they have not yet counted votes, Democrats and Republicans alike said they expect enough members to sign the letter to show Clinton that a decision to certify Mexico could be overturned by Congress.

While the letter says that Mexico should not be certified, it suggests that Clinton waive the punishment prescribed in the 1986 law - a 50 percent cut in U.S. aid and an American vote against all loans from international lending organizations.

The strong congressional reaction increases the pressure on Clinton and the State Department, which would feel the brunt of diplomatic fallout from Mexico if that country were put in the same category as Lebanon, Paraguay, and Pakistan - the countries now not certified but granted punishment waivers.

Clinton would be embarrassed by a vote - led by members from within his own party - to overturn a foreign policy decision. If the president certifies Mexico as a drug-fighting ally, Congress could introduce legislation to overturn the action. If the legislation passed, it could be vetoed by Clinton but Congress could override with a two-third vote of both houses.

White House foreign policy advisers said Thursday that they understand why passions had been aroused by the issue on Capitol Hill. But signals from the administration suggested that at least some top aides favor certification.

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of Drug Control Policy, told a House committee Thursday that the United States believes top Mexican officials are honest, most notably President Ernesto Zedillo. “What we’re going to do in Mexico is to support this president and his senior officers,” McCaffrey said.

A White House official said Clinton believes “Zedillo has been very sincere and determined and committed on this - that is something we take at face value. You can’t walk away from the good people in Mexico who are trying to fight this. And that is most of the people.”

The most worrisome opposition for the administration comes from Democrats, who in the past have been more inclined than have Republicans to support Clinton’s decisions on certification.

“There’s no point in starting the process (of opposition to certification) if we’re not serious” about getting a veto-proof margin, said Susan Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who is spearheading Senate opposition. “We are not in the head-counting stage yet,” Kennedy said. “We are still hoping the president will do the right thing and not certify Mexico.”