NICARAGUA AID PASSES HOUSE

President Bush's plan to spend an added $9 million to boost the political opposition in next year's Nicaraguan elections won House approval easily in a 263-to-156 vote Wednesday. The measure could come up in the Senate before the week is out. The package would aid election-related activities deemed to be nonpartisan, but which Mr. Bush believes would help ``level the playing field'' for the opposition presidential candidate.