DEMOCRATS TO PRESS BILLS AGAINST SECRECY MEASURES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100020135-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2012
• Sequence Number: 135
• Publication Date: February 17, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020135-0
ARTI -ME APPEAR
O PAGE = _ 17 February 1984
By STUART TAYLOR Jr.
fpscm, ee TM New Yost T1ms
Democrats to Press Bills Against Secrecy Measures
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16-
White House effort to an
the d?~nuLP_-
con8ressional, Democrats said today
that ev wou nress their haff
President Rea 's Rob of us' car.
SOTS pan p ygrap Or etect
-.tests to guard national sea ity. Pets.
a bon, a spokesman for` enatoor
Charles McC. Mathias Jr., Republican
of Maryland; said Mr. Mathias wanted
some further definitive action to "give
a decent burial:' to the censorship poli-
cy. The stoke`snnaa said the Senator
planned to proceed, with a hearing one
set for Feb. 23. statemeatignaled 'bnTy a tentative
Democratic opponents of Mr. Rea- half-step, or s
pas measures welcomed a "Much of the Administration's poly-
statement av ~Larrv graph and censorship scheme may still
S es. Mr. Reagan's chi rocker, go forward," Mr. Brooks said. Under
man. that the President had decided the approach announced . by Mr.
pot to implement" for the time being. Speakes, he said, "each agency is free
those aspects of an order on March 11 to enact their own version of the Presi-
useo dent's censorship and polygraph poll-
ME and a
ta o o - des quietly in she shadows. agency by
ncuus who e certain irate s ceagency.:'
, .
.
~ .
:
,.. r
s;..~w . .
-.Brooits'ftubei I,islation
But the Democratic critics of the pro. M% Brooks noted that. without new
posed secrecy measures stressed that'
Mr. Reagan had not committed himself legislationthe Defense Department ap-
to dropping the measures permanent- ptiy would be free shed April 15 to
ly. Some of the Democrats said they proceed with its own plans to use poly-
would go ahead with efforts to seek per. graphs v* "m employment in-
manent legislation to block the Adman terviews and for random security
istration's continuing ' checks under the threat of adverse con-
use of such meas. ?~ thstanding Mr
ures
nding them. and preventing Mr. Reagan from :Speaker statement. s
enactment Of his bill was necessity to
Eagleton Questions sincerity. prevent such measures; .-i
"I question both the motives and the I Representative Democrat of Coloradoocia Schroeder, , agreed, sincerity" behind Mr. Speakes's state she planned to proceed with bea
saying
rings
meet, said Senator Thomas F. Ea- an Mr.Brooks'sbillbefore'hersubcom-
gleton, a Missouri Democrat who co. rmittee. She said that "random use of
sponsored temporary legislation last polygraphs and lifetime
year-blocking the increased use of cen- review restrictions" have no pace in a
sorship agreements until April 15. - free socie
.'
;
ty.
.
I He said the President's motive was A White :House official said today
"to curtail a tidal wave of bad .press that Mre.Resgan had not yet signed any
until after the election" and to remove 1 formal order sus
...w:_ :--'~_---
p
om
.sae Sensate
bearings on the nomination of the
White House counselor, Edwin Meese
3d, who helped draft Mr. Reagan's se-
creey policies, to be Attorney General.
Mr. Mathias was the other sponsor of
the temporary legislation blocking Mr.
Reagan's efforts to require more than
100,000 officials who handle sensitive
.intelligence secrets torsign lifelong cen-
sorship agreements. He could not be
'reached today, his aides said:
A Tentative Move
i Representative Jack Brooks, a
Texas Democrat who is sponsoring a
bill to impose tight, permanent restric-
tions on Government use of censorship
and polygraphs, said Mr: Speakes's
'provisions in the Minh' 11, 198;1. nie-
crecy order. entitled "Nations] Se-_
curity Decision Directive 84."
The official added, "He intends to do
STAT
NEWT YORK TINS
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100020135-0