MEETING OF DEPARTMENTAL LEGISLATIVE LIAISON OFFICERS ON THE STATE AUTHORIZATION BILL, S. 3526

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 16, 2006
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: May 5, 1972
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 20070077 : CC IIA-RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
WLJ E ONLY
5 May 1972
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Meeting of Departmental Legislative Liaison Officers on
the State Authorization Bill, S.. 3526
1. I attended a meeting today at the State Department of legislative
liaison officers of various departments and agencies to discuss the 10 percent
overseas personnel reduction and dissemination of information provisions in
the State Department Authorization bill (S. 3526) as reported out of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. The meeting was chaired by Mr.. Marshall
Wright, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations, and
was attended by the following representatives:
Agriculture - William Galbraith
Commerce - Sol Mosher
Defense - Colonel George L. J. Dalferes
Health, Education, and Welfare - Frank Samuels
Justice .- Hugh Durham
National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Mr. Lothman
State - James Halmo
State, Agency for International Development -
Transportation - Thomas Smarz
U. S. Information Agency - Charles Ablard.
2. Mr. Wright opened the meeting by distributing copies of the
material which we had prepared and forwarded to State which included our
statement in support of a motion to strike subsection (a) of section 504 of
S. 3526 (the 10 percent ceiling provision) with the accompanying recom-
mended amendment; and our statement and suggested amendment on
section 205 (com} restrictions on the preparation and dissemination
of information abroad).
INTERNAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2007/02/07 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
 Approved For Release 2007/0
tV CIA- L P744B000415R000600120025-2
ERNA ONLY
3. Mr. Wright pointed out that on the basis of CIA contacts with
Mr. Ed Braswell, Chief Counsel, Senate Armed Services Committee,
Braswell had said he thought Senator Stennis would go on the floor to get
a specific exemption from section 504(a) for the Agency, but there was
some question as to whether he would be willing to lead an all-out attack
to strike section 504(a) on jurisdictional grounds. The group discussed
tactics in coping with this personnel cut including the wisdom of having
Senator Stennis, who is a hawk, lead the fight and having this turn into a
hawk vs dove issue. But when the question was raised as to who else
would lead the fight only Senators Magnuson and Scott were regarded as
being at all, effective. Even then, it would be difficult for these Senators
to attack this provision on the only ground which the group felt was an
effective one--committee jurisdiction.
4. In a general discussion of the personnel reduction provision,
various agency representatives such as Justice and Commerce said they
really didn't feel they could generate much interest on the part of their
committee people on the Hill in opposing this provision since the number
of their personnel affected was quite small. After Mr. Wright polled the
group as to whether or not these cuts would really create any problem
for them despite the small numbers involved, these representatives
focused more precisely on the problem. A list of Senators was circulated
and various agencies agreed to contact specific Senators in an effort to
obtain their support for an amendment which would strike the 10 percent
cut entirely. I agreed we would contact the following Senators or their
staffs:
Gordon Allott (D., Colo.)
Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (I., Va.)
Allen J. Ellender (D., La.) -- (I said while I thought Senator
Ellender would support a specific CIA amendment, I had
some doubt he would vote to strike the cut in view of his
basic philosophy that the U. S. has too many people overseas.
Henry M. Jackson (D., Wash.)
Charles H. Percy (R., Ill.)
William Be Spong, Jr. (D., Va.)
John C. Stennis (D., Miss.)
Milton R. Young (R. , N.Dak.)
2
Approved For Release 2007/02/07 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
INTERNAL USE ONLY
 Approved For Release 2007/02/07 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
INTERNAL USE ONLY
5. During the meeting Mr. Wright made a phone call to Ed Braswell
and asked him how he felt Senator Stennis would react to managing an amend-
ment to strike section 504(a) if he had the support of a number of other
Senators including several committee chairmen. Braswell told Wright he
thought Senator Stennis would be reluctant to take on this job especially
since he was leading the fight against the Case /Church provision to cut off
funds for operations in Southeast Asia.
6. Mr. Wright said he would talk with Mr. Tom Korologos, of the
White House staff, as soon as he could get to him--probably not before
Monday--to obtain his views on a possible floor leader for the section 504(a)
fight. He also asked the agency representatives present to check with their
organizations to see who would be willing to issue press releases expressing
their opposition to a 10 percent cut and asked that Bill Blair, of State's
Bureau of Public Affairs, be given the gist of these statements so he could
integrate them with a statement the State representatives hope they can get
Under Secretary John N. Irwin to make on this subject.
7. Mr. Wright pointed out that while the State Department had not
asked the Committee to insert the 10 percent personnel cut in the bill in
many instances it would be difficult for State to ask Senators who are friends
of the Department to oppose this section since they feel it is in State's best
interest to reduce the number of non-State Department personnel abroad.
Wright urged those present to make an all-out effort to oppose this legisla-
tion. He said unless a united front is presented against it a 10 percent
reduction was very likely to remain in the law. He added that it would be
a serious mistake to let this provision go in the Senate on the assumption
it could be knocked out by the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House
because Foreign Affairs will have a number of provisions in the Senate
bill to contend with and cannot possibly win on all of them.
8. In view of the time taken in discussing section 504(a), Wright
did not dwell at length on the dissemination of information section (205).
He did ask those present, however, to take a close look at this provision
and talk. it over within their agencies and to let Mr. Ablard, USIA, know
if it posed any problems for them. Wright mentioned USIA and CIA were
working on this and ,A,D~4rd added that as soon as he could make contact
with Mr. Korologos, USIA and CIA would discuss this section with him
and then meet with Senator Dominick or Senator Baker to see if they
would offer an amendment to eliminate problems which both of our agencies
have with this section.
Approved For Release 2007/02/07 : CI -RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
INTERNAL USE ONLY
 4Q~,,.
Approved For Release 2007/02tI~D USE ONLY 000600120025-2
9. Following the meeting I spoke briefly with Messrs. Wright and
Ablard and suggested that Wright ask Korologos to approach Senator Stennis
directly to see if he would offer an amendment to strike all of section 405(a)
since the Senator might have an easier time of it on the floor on this basis
with considerable support than he would have in arguing for a specific
exemption for CIA. I also expressed grave reservations as to the wisdom
of precipitating a floor discussion on section 205 unless we had very strong
arguments which did not involve the Agency and we were fairly certain of
sufficient support. I said I thought a Senate floor debate with a negative
vote would make it more difficult for the House members to beat down the
Senate conferees than no Senate discussion at all. Both Wright and AbbTVWINTL
agreed with this assessment of the situation.
Deputy Legislative Counsel
Distribution:
Orig. - Subj.
1 - Ex/Dir
1 -OGC
1-DDS
4
Approved For Release 2007/02/07 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000600120025-2
.INTERNAL USE ONL,'