SENATE SALT DEBATE NOT SEEN LIKELY TO BEGIN THIS YEAR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01315R000400350015-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2004
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: December 2, 1979
• Content Type: NSPR

ARTICLE,APPEARE.D THE WASHINGTON POST
ON PAGE 11 :L`i... 2 December 1979
Approved For Release 2005/01/12 : PT-M
arrate'SALT Debate
of Seen Lilely
O B~~n This Year
;Because otther'Iraniari crisis, and an. overcrowded
g4ngressional calendar, ' the Senate debate on the
? kLT II=treaty-is unlikely to, begin this year;Senate5
_y r (w,iG
ources predicted last. week. t _ '
,
Pro and anti SALT maneuvering contInues in.!,
*enselyin the Senate,-but both sines now expect, the
t1oor debate to begin in earnest no sooner than, Jan
nary: It maybe:, difficult to get a- final vote on the
eaeaty~beforeYthe-New Hampshire primary on..:Feb
some Senates sources ii,
Friends and! foes` of the treaty agree; that%ontin-'
'ued slippage in: the SALT timetable. is likely to help
the treaty's opponents- more than the Carter admin-
The?Senate.-majority leader, :Robeit "C Byrd (D?_
W Va.), has expressed dismay. at the props`ect thati
SALT will be on the floor during the presidential
primaries, but that now appears to be inevitable:.
Byrd told reporters yesterday that in view of Sen,
ate delays on, the windfall profits tax bill and of the
need for a week or so for the Armed ;cervices Com.
mittee to study five-year prolec*.ions`?- for military
spending it's only marginally likely that the treaty
would even be %made .the pendi;ig.Seriaterbusiness
before the scheduled Dec. 21 adjournment. And that
final vote wouldn't come until many weeps, perhaps
? rosy ?'.
months, into the 1980 session,
Some opponents of, tine treaty scored.public rela-_
.ions points last week '. with: a strategic leak.'of
draft report" that. the-.Senate Armed Services Corn-
aaittee may consider. soon, that Is sharply critical; of
;?ALT II:
" Aides'to senators hostile to SALT, II the
ocument,, a :3l page ;report : written bya staffers
:;hichhad no.bfficialstatus,-and-'ctafmedtthatw11
wembers of the 17 member committee would en
Arse it.s:.
At least one:; of the' alleged:'1Lsupporters, Robert.
l orgam(D-N.C ),,..said';he.would oppose' the."".pro-
1osed report':Y