LEGISLATIVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP MEETING 19 AUGUST 1974

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00957A000100040010-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 4, 2006
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: August 19, 1974
• Content Type: MFR

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OLC 74-1869
i' 19 August 1974
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
3r'j
SUBJECT: Legislative Interdepartmental Group Meeting, 19 August 1974
1. On Monday, 19 August .1974, I attended a meeting of the Legislative
Interdepartmental Group (LIG) in the Roosevelt Room of the White House from
1500 hours until 1620 hours. Torn Korologos chaired in the absence of
Bill Timmons, who was travelling with the President. Those present also
included:
Max Friedersdorf and Pat O'Donnell, White House
Congressional Liaison staff
Assistant Secretary Linwood Holton, with aide, State
Department
Assistant Secretary Jack M. Maury, with aides,. Defense
Department
Matthew Harvey, AID
Dick Kennedy and Robert McFarlane, National Security Council
Stan Ebner and B. A. Bridgewater, OMB
Representative of USIA
2. General.
a. Tom Korologos said we will have to play "catch up ball"
until the. new Administration settles down and it is more important
than ever to close all loops, coordinate with sister agencies, and
tie-in back to the White House legislative group in the event we get
queries from some of the new players. While the new theme
obviously is compromise, that doesn't mean sell out, and we should
assume unless we hear to the contrary that all existing positions on
legislation are fundamentally sound.
b. Bridgewater recommended that the President spend an hour
and a half or so with the leadership to review concepts and reopen
communications on Congress' legitimate interest in the foreign affairs
E2 ImpDet
Cl by Signer
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area, and the desirability of flexibility for the President as
contrasted with the restrictive measures on executive action
being enacted and proposed within the Congress. All concurred
this was the first order of business.
3. Foreign Assistance Act. There was a review and discussion of
about a dozen troublesome items in the legislation, including:
a. Indochina Funding Levels. Holton made a strong case
against imposing country levels in legislation which inevitably
leads to the development of country lobbies. The President and
the Secretary of State should make appropriate contacts on the Hill.
b. Cambodia Personnel Ceiling. Although it was agreed that the
principle of such a ceiling was objectionable, AID and State claimed
that this. was not a high-priority item, and we should not use up too
many chips on this issue.
c. Phase-out of Military Missions.,
d. Cost Reduction of Military Missions.
e. Elimination of Authority to Draw Down DOD Stocks. Korologos
pointed out the if such a provision had been
in existence during the October Mideast war.
f. Redefinition of Excess Defense Articles.
g. Military Aid to Korea.
h. Arm Sales Command Channels.
i. Interest Rates on Credit Sales.
j. Restrictions on Aid to Chile. Korologos juxtaposed the
assistance Peru is receiving.
k. Striking Presidential Waiver Authorities.
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1. Police Trainixl. I advised of our information that the
amendment by Senator James Abourezk (D., S. Dak. ), which would
have impaired our functioning, had been narrowed down by the
Committee to apply only to funds authorized under the foreign
assistance bill, although this, of course, did not help AID, and that
this favorable action may well have been taken as a result of the
Director's letter to Senator J. W. Fulbright (D. , Ark. ). I reported
speculation that Representative Michael Harrington (D. , Mass. )
would propose a similarly broad amendment in House committee,
but that he had been soundly defeated on a proposal concerning the
Agency's covert action and may be deterred from introducing
similar amendments. Harvey of AID said Harrington had "shot his
wad" on the bill.
4. DOD Appropriations. It was reported that the bill probably will
come up this week, but that Senator John Tower (R., Tex.) is nervous that it
may be moving too fast, and that it may be best to defer it until after the recess.
I Isaid. there was something to this; Holton's rejoinder was that one seldom
comes back from v1piting his constituents with a message to vote more money,
but then agreed wit observation that the members most likely will be
returning with the definite message that the public wants Congress to support
the President, and this would help sustain the President's position with respect
to the bill.
a. $5 billion Senate cut. The President had attempted to
persuade Senators John L. McClellan (D. , Ark.) and Milton R. Young
(R. , N. Dak.) that the cut was too deep, without success. DOD is
quite confident that in conference they can recoup back one-half of
the difference between the $5 billion Senate cut and the $3. 6 billion
House cut.
b. $700 million MASF ceiling. The tactic, as in the case of the
budget cut, will be strictly defensive to stave off any further cuts.
Senator William. Proxmire (D. , Wis.) may move to cut the MASF
ceiling to $550 or $500 million. Apparently Senator John C. Stennis
(D. , Miss.) would support a supplemental in January 1975. At
present, even with the stepped-up North Vietnamese activities,
some important sentiment is running against further aid. Some
have even cited the stepped-up activity as evidence that we ought
to get out completely. Congress will be influenced by the situation
in Vietnam at the time the supplemental is submitted.
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c. Troop Reduction of 25, 000. Senators Mike Mansfield
(D., Mont.), Hubert H, Humphrey (D. , Minn. ), or others may
propose a greater troop cut, and Maury is preparing papers to
be used to oppose a 75, 000; 50, 000; and 25, 000 troop cut.
d. Miscellaneous. In regard to the reduction of RDT&E,
efforts with Senator McClellan would be counterproductive, but
there is some hope that Senator Thomas J. McIntyre (D. , N. H.
might be helpful. The problem, as explained, is that the
Committee lumped together a large number of small, worthwhile
programs, believing that it was one large program and could
stand the reduction. Finally, a "Dear Colleague" letter is being
circulated to impose a $295 billion overall spending limit.
5. State Authorizatior
a. Base Agreements. Quick Senate action on that bill with
its assorted amendments was due to the presence of the Russian
parliamentarians and a. wish to :impress them that the Congress
can move fast. Chairman Wayne L. Hays (D. , Ohio), Subcommittee
on State Department Organization and Foreign Operations, House
Foreign Affairs Committee, has promised that the Committee would
report out a clean bill, and was confident he could eliminate the
Senate amendments except for the Clifford P. Case (R. , N. J.
amendment requiring congressional approval of base agreements
involving military personnel strength of 500 or more. If passed,
Holton would recommend a veto,. It is counterproductive to approach
Case, as he is wedded to the concept.
b. Role of the Ambassador. Korologos said the most pressing
problem was the role of the ambassador amendment, and I reported
our conversation with Hays this morning and work with Al Westphal,
Foreign Affairs Committee staff, and Congressmen Peter H. B.
Frelinghuysen (R. , N. J. ), Dante B. Fascell (D. , Fla. ), and
Vernon W. Thomson (R. , Wis. ). McFarlane cautioned that we not
compromise on principle, and I said we were only talking about a
back-up position in the event an amendment is proposed and cannot
be defeated on the floor, and that the constitutional argument against
the proposition appeared to appeal to Hays.
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c. Cuba. Korologos tried to get a sense of the group on the
provision dealing with the review of U. S. policy toward Cuba,
but the only statements hedged.
d. Rhodesian Chrome. Apparently there is a paper on the
President's desk pointing out the adverse affects of our policy,
but that past failures to repeal the Byrd amendment have not
led to disastrous results.
6. Miscellaneous. Ex ort-import legislation was raised, but
interested no one. Also eported that the Navy was terribly unhappy
about the 200-mile territorial limit proposed in the bill by Senator Warren
G. Magnuson (D. , Wash. ) and read from a message from Senator Ted Stevens
(R. , Alaska), one of the advisers to the U. S. delegation to the United Nations
Law of the Sea Conference, alarmed over the adverse impact on the Conference
of any action on the bill, and requesting; that Senate Foreign Relations Committee
members be alerted. The bill is now bottled up for the duration of the
Conference by joint referral. to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
where it will repose for at least 21 day,s.,.-fl
Distribution:
Orig - Subject file
1 - LLM Chrono
1 - OLC Chrono
OLC:LLM:cg (22 Aug 74)
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