House Yields on Requiring Libya Embargo

WASHINGTON — An attempt by the House to legislate a U.S. trade embargo against Libya was dropped from the foreign aid bill approved by congressional negotiators early Friday.

The House version of the $12.7-billion package would have required President Reagan to impose a ban on U.S. exports to, and imports from Libya as a way to pressure the regime of Moammar Kadafi to cease what the Administration calls “state-supported terrorism.”

The Senate version would simply have authorized Reagan to impose an embargo on Libya or any country that Congress,by a joint resolution, determines to be engaging in terrorism.

However in backstage negotiations, House and Senate staffers agreed to accept the House version, but with a crucial difference--merely permitting the embargo rather than requiring it. The House and Senate members of the conference committee then endorsed the staff recommendation.

Semantic Change

In effect, the final version reiterated current U.S. law.

The compromise was made by changing the word shall to may in the House phrase, “The President shall prohibit. . . .”

The final version, which must be endorsed by the full House and Senate before being forwarded to Reagan, now says:

“The President may prohibit any article grown, produced, extracted or manufactured in Libya from being imported into the United States. . . . The President may prohibit any goods or technology--including technical data or other information subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or exported by any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States from being exported to Libya.”