Cease-fire talks between the two warring sides were stalled, and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega proposed for the first time holding high-level direct talks inside Nicaragua, without Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo, who has been serving as a mediator.

In seeking to craft a majority, Democrats were faced with challenges from at least two sides. They had to win the votes of party moderates who were reluctant to totally abandon the rebels, believing that they provide useful pressure to keep the Sandinistas bargaining in good faith.

The Democrats also had to woo the votes of the party's liberal wing, most of whom have steadfastly refused to vote for aid to the rebels in any form.

The Democratic package included about $16 million in food, clothing, medicine and shelter for the rebels, intended to last at least through June, and $14 million to set up a fund to help children injured in the seven-year Nicaraguan civil war.

Party leaders had argued that passage of this purely "humanitarian" aid bill would have lessened chances that Reagan could come back to Congress soonwith a request for weapons and ammunition tosustain the Contras.

A Republican alternative plan contained moremoney for the rebels--about $22 million--andplaced fewer restrictions on the way the Contrascould use the aid, allowing purchase of non-lethalmilitary supplies. The GOP package also containeda children's aid fund similar to that proposed byDemocrats.

Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK) said the keydifference between the two bills was that theDemocrats' version offered no guarantees for quickconsideration of a future administration requestfor military aid for the rebels.

The GOP package would permit the president toask for such aid any time after April 15, andwould require expedited congressional action