14 DECEMBER WHITE HOUSE MEETING ON SALT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R001300030010-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 14, 2004
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: December 14, 1978
• Content Type: MFR

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14 December 1978
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: 14 December White House Meeting on SALT 0 25X1
1. Frederick P. Hitz, Legislative Counsel, and I attended
a meetin
c
ll
d b
g
a
e
y Bob Beckel, White House Congressional
Liaison staff, regarding the projected SALT ratification
efforts in the Senate. Also attending the meeting were:
Dan Tate White House Congressional Staff
Doug Bennet Assistant Secretary of State for
Congressional Relations
Kathy Smith Department of State Office of
Congressional Relations
Phil Shrag ACTA
Jack L. Stempler Assistant to the Secretary for
Legislative Affairs
Bill Smith Assistant for Congressional
Relations for the Vice President
2. Beckel opened the meeting by referring to a 10 December
article in the Chicago Sun Times revealing the White House
SALT vote count which was distributed at our last meeting.
Beckel made clear there is no White House count at this early
date, that the list distributed was simply a compilation of
Department inputs. He indicated the White House was already
under attack for this count; specifically Senator-elect Baucus
called the White House to indicate they were crazy if they had
him in the solidl
y pro-SALT camp as the count indicated.
3. Beckel indicated that it had been d 'd
d
Hamilton Jordan, Assistant to the President ewillrunathe
White House effort at SALT ratification. II
4. Considerable alarm was expressed by those attending
the meeting that the initiative was completely with SALT
opponents and that the Administration must move quickly to
capture the offensive. Bennet distributed copies of a State
Department pro-SALT pamphlet which is being distributed
publicly. Bennet suggested that even without full
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on a treaty, the Administration must go public on therprovisions
that have been agreed to. Beckel and Tate agreed to this 25X1
approach. State representatives had agreed to draft approximately
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12 points which will be the core of the pro-SALT effort.
These were to be submitted to the SCC meeting scheduled for 1.8
December on SALT issues. An attempt will be made to obtain
approval on these points from the SCC for the public relations
offensive.
5. A good bit of the discussion centered on tactics for
notifying and briefing Members of the progress of the treaty
and an announcement of the formal agreement when it is reached.
An attempt will be made by Administration spokesmen to brief
as many Senators as possible, including some in their home
states, iftjecessary, prior to the Members' return to Washington
for the 96 Congress. This is contingent upon Secretary
Vance and Foreign Minister Gromyko reaching agreement in
Geneva next week. Bennet also suggested that telegrams be
sent to the Members upon agreement between Vance and Gromyko.
6. Mr. Hitz and I were basically observers to the
meeting as little of this session centered on SALT verification
Assistant Legislative Counsel
Distribution:
Original - OLC Subject
1 - OLC Chrono
OLC:DFM:hms (3 January 1979)
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Approved For Release 2004/10/28 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R001300030010-4