LEGISLATIVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP NOVEMBER 24, 1971

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 24, 1971
• Content Type: MISC

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0
Time and Place: 4:30 p.m. - 7:10 p.m., White House Situation Room
Sy.bject: The Military Assistance Bill, IGA. Reports and Other Matters
Partiaipantss:
Chairman: John Lehman
November 24, 1971
State: Mr. David Abshire
Mr. Thomas Pickering
Mr. Alexander Schnee
Mr. Anthony Faunce
Defense: Lt. Gen. George Seignious
Mr. Rady Johnson
AID:
LEGISLATIVE INTERDEPARTMENTAL GROUP
1Cr". 1~t u`"jr'
Mr. Matthew Harvey
CIEP:' Mr. Lawrence Brady
OMB: Mr. Robert Mantel
White Mr. Richard Cook
House:
NSC Colo Thomas C. Pinckney.
Staff- Mr. Robert Hormats
Mr. James T. Hackett
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0
CONFIDENTIAL
The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss, item by item, the
most. objectionable provisions of the military assistance bill reported
out by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 8' and to
divide them into three categories:
a. those that must be removed or the President will veto,
b. those that are highly objectionable and should be removed if
at all possible, and
those that are objectionable but negotiable.
It was agreed to place ten items in category A, and twelve each in
categories B and C. It was also agreed that the talkers for use in
presenting the administration position on the Hill would be prepared as
follows: 12 by AID, 11 by State, 5 by DOD, 4 by OMB, 1 by NSC and 1
by CIEP. In the interests of rapid action and because of the Thanksgiving
holiday, lists of the 34 items by category, and separate.lists showing
agency responsibility for each item, were prepared and delivered to the
action officer on November 26.
Three other items were discussed at the meeting:
1. A request by the Moorhead-- Subcommittee of the House for a copy of
the Administration's projections for the Vietnam economic program.
It was pointed out that the document containing the projections was
prepared for internal use only, and included frank discussion and
recommendations that could cause serious difficulties if released to the
Congress. All present agreed that the document in question should not
be provided to Cong. Moorhead.
2. A request by Senator Proxmire that all reports of the Inspector
General for Foreign Assistance be sent directly to him upon their
completion.
Mr. Anthony Faunce of the office of the Inspector General for Foreign
Assistance attended the meeting for the purpose of discussing this problem.
He explained various options and asked for guidance. After considerable
discussion in which Faunce, Abshire; Johnson and-Lehman were the
principal participants, it was agreed that the following procedures would
be instituted to deal with all subsequent requests from. Congress for IGA
reports:
CONFIDENTIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0
CONFIDENTIAL
When preparing a report, the office of the IGA will first
prepare a "draft working paper.? This will be submitted
to all interested agencies for clearance or revision. The
agencies will be informed that they must notify the IGA
within 20 days of receiving the draft working paper if they
have any proposed revisions. They then have 10 more days,.
or a total of 30 days, to submit their final revisions to the IGA.
When all revisions have been incorporated into the draft
working paper, it may then be considered a report and submitted
to Senator Proxmire. If the agencies do not respond within,
20 days, the document will be released as drafted to the
Congress.-after 30 days. Any disputes regarding proposed
revisions will be submitted to the LIG for resolution. If
any agency judges that matters involving executive
privilege are raised in the draft working paper, the question
of whether executive privilege applies will be submitted, to
the Justice Department and thence to the White House for
decision., according to established procedures. In the event
of either a dispute regarding the text or a claim of executive
privilege, no report will be sent to Congress until the. matter
is resolved.
Mr. Faunce suggested that he call on Senator Proxmire to inform the
Senator of this procedure, but it was agreed that this was unnecessary.
Mr. Faunce was asked to prepare a draft of the new procedure and
submit it to the LIG for approval.
3. The third item. discussed was the legislation providing funds for
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty.
Mr. Abshire said the bill is about to come out of committee and that
a Presidential letter to the committee is not necessary at this time.
It was agreed to take no action on the matter.
CONFIDENTIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/10/14: LOC-HAK-302-1-4-0