By Jason Embry, Austin American Statesman

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul strongly supports spending $500 million to help Mexico fight drug cartels, but he voted Wednesday to slow down that aid.

McCaul, R-Austin, voted not to provide that aid until the Mexican government meets a series of requirements, inlcuding a determination that authorities in Mexico are not involved in the trafficking or drugs, weapons or people. The amendment, which failed, also said that Mexico or other countries receiving such aid would have to cooperate with all U.S. extradition requests.

The vote came in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on an amendment to legislation authorizing the so-called Merida Initiative. The amendment with the restrictions failed, but legislation to pay for the Merida Initiative continues to move through Congress.

"We need to put measures in place for accountability in the way this is implemented," McCaul said when asked about his committee vote. "But my support for (the Merida plan) is obviously very strong."

McCaul said he did not think the amendment would have killed the Merida Initiative.

But Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, a Democrat from Mercedes who voted against it, called it a poison pill that "would make the Merida Initiative unworkable."

"By asking Congress to certify beforehand that no corruption exists within a recipient country's military or police force would negate one of the purposes of the initiative, which is to fight systemic corruption in these nations," Hinojosa said.

McCaul tried to require that Congress match the aid to other countries with aid to authorities on the U.S. side of the border. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, D-Calif., praised that idea but said his committee did not have jurisdiction to do so.

The amount of aid, if any, that Congress will provide to help Mexico and Central American countries fight the drug cartels remains in flux. President Bush has requested that the money be part of upcoming legislation to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The initiative would provide helicopters, training and communication upgrades, among other things. McCaul has said fighting the cartels on both sides of the border is important to U.S. security efforts, but some Republicans say U.S. dollars should stay on this side of the border.

"I've put myself on the line on this thing and it's come at some political cost," McCaul said.