WASHINGTON -- The incoming Republican leader of the newly renamed House International Relations Committee presented a distinctly more moderate face to the world yesterday than have some senior senators.
Like many of his Republican colleagues, Benjamin F. Gilman of New York denounced the Clinton administration for a wavering and uncertain foreign policy. He also added his voice to calls for a lifting of the arms embargo on Bosnian Muslims and for "strategic airstrikes" against Bosnian Serb forces if they threaten Muslim safe areas or United Nations peacekeepers.
But on most other issues, the new chairman of the former House Foreign Affairs Committee took a milder line against the administration than has Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, who will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Mr. Gilman threatened little more than tough scrutiny, provided that the White House consults closely with the committee.
Mr. Gilman's and Mr. Helms' committees are responsible for watching over American foreign policy and play a strong role in apportioning aid.
Mr. Gilman's first news conference in his new job was most notable in showing how the ducal powers and autonomy of committee chairmen in the House will shrink under Newt Gingrich's new regime as House speaker.
The 72-year-old Mr. Gilman, a 22-year veteran, was preceded at the microphone by Rep. Jim Nussle, 34, of Iowa, whom Mr. Gingrich has tapped to head the GOP House transition team and who made it clear the House leadership was running the show.
"Welcome back to our continuing effort to brief you on the transition that the Republicans are making in the House of
Representatives," said Mr. Nussle, who entered the House in 1991. "The Republicans, in our wisdom, have chosen a very fine gentleman and a friend of mine, Ben Gilman, to be the chairman of this committee."
Mr. Gilman said that while the leadership "doesn't dictate," he would consult with House leaders about subcommittees and staffs.
In an early move, he said, the committee will conduct an overall examination of the administration's foreign policy, including Bosnia, Haiti and the nuclear-weapons agreement with North Korea.
"Instead of a strong, steady signal on foreign policy coming from the nation's capital, regrettably, the world has heard a series of wavering notes sounded by an uncertain trumpet, leaving our allies concerned and our adversaries confused to our nation's purposes," Mr. Gilman said.
But he refrained from proposing many specific changes.
Mr. Helms has denounced the Mideast peace process as a fraud and has expressed opposition to any use of American troops as peacekeepers in the Golan Heights to support a deal between Israel and Syria. Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin wants this option kept alive to make the Israeli public secure enough to cede territory.
Mr. Gilman, a strong supporter of Israel, said, "I think we should take a hard look at that proposal," but added, "I think it's extremely important that while the sensitive negotiations are under way that we not take hard stands either in favor or opposed to certain elements in those negotiations."
Mr. Gilman refrained from threatening to block money to carry out the recent agreement with North Korea that will freeze and eventually dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska and other Republicans believe the agreement is too front-loaded with American concessions.