House votes to cut off cash for combat role

Press, 25 May 1984, Page 6

House votes to cut off cash for combat role

NZPA-AP Washington

The United States House of Representatives, supported by Republicans and Democrats, voted 341-64 yesterday to bar the introduction of United States military forces into or over El Salvador or Nicaragua for combat unless needed to rescue embassy staff or other American citizens. The House also voted, 238-181, to prohibit the testing of a United States antisatellite weapon against an object in space, so long as the Soviet Union continues to observe its voluntary freeze, imposed last year, against such tests. The Central American measure bars the spending of any funds in the next financial year for any United States military forces for delivering weapons-fire upon an enemy. The amendment to the Defence Department’s spending bill allows only these exceptions: • A declaration of war by Congress, or other specific legislation authorising combat activity. • Actions by the President necessary to meet a clear and present danger of hostile attack upon the United States, or to meet a clear and present danger ... to the United States Embassy, or to meet clear and present danger to United States Government personnel or United States citizens.

Representative Thomas Foley (Dem., Washington) sponsored the measure, and won the support of 97 Republicans. Only 61 Republicans opposed the measure, as did two Democrats. Representative Henry Hyde (Rep., Illinois) said, “We have repealed a Constitutional provision that provides that the Chief Executive is Commander-in-Chief. El Salvador is one ally in the world where we won’t go to their defence. I am sorry the members accepted this blatantly cowardly,

political amendment." Mr Hyde’s remarks brought demands that his comments be stricken from the Congressional Record on the ground that he had referred to members of the Armed Services panel as “cowards.” He retracted his statement, saying that he meant no personal insult. “It’s not cowardly,” he said. “It’s dumb.” Mr Foley denied that the amendment usurped any of President Ronald Reagan’s powers. The ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, Representative William Dickinson (Alabama) called it “a good statement of policy.” “It repeats what the President himself has said many times.” Mr Reagan told a news conference on Wednesday that he could envision no situation in which American troops would intervene in Central America. Representative Mel Levine (Dem., California) said, “Some of us have very deep concerns, in fact some real fears, that this Administration in 1985, might reconsider its stated position.” Efforts at similar legislation have been turned aside in the Republican-controlled Senate. But the size of the House vote could mean that the chamber will carry particular weight into HouseSenate negotiations on the bill later in the year.

The move against testing the anti-satellite weapon represents a sharp rebuke to Mr Reagan. He said more than a month ago that the United States should continue to develop satellitekillers because verification obstacles made a comprehensive pact with the Soviet Union on the issue virtually impossible. Earlier, the House had strongly approved the continued deployment of Pershing 2 nuclear missiles in Western Europe and a speed-up in production next

year of the Bl supersonic bomber, both main facets of Mr Reagan’s strategic build-

But 58 Republicans joined 199 Democrats to approve the measure barring the United States . Air Force from testing an Asat missile against orbiting objects unless the Soviets conduct such tests with their own weapon — a cruder and less accurate system. Last year the House barred such tests by the United States pending Mr Reagan’s report to Congress on his efforts to negotiate a comprehensive treaty against space weaponry. He technically complied with that stipulation when he virtually ruled out such talks on the ground that verification would be too difficult. The Air Force wants to test the United States weapon, a missile fired from an Eagle interceptor against a balloon-like satellite launched from Wallops Island, Virginia, in November.

Mr Reagan wants SUS 4 billion ($6.1 billion) for the weapon, designed to knock out low-level Soviet military communications and spy satellites within minutes. It would be deployed, initially, at Eagle squadrons on both United States coasts. The House’s amendment would not bar flight tests against “imaginary” objects or points in space. Two such tests, both successful, were conducted earlier this year. In earlier action, an attempt to tie the SUS36B million ($566.72 million) procurement of 70 more Pershing 2 missiles next year to Soviet behaviour on arms control was defeated by a vote of 294-122. That amendment would have permitted the buying of the medium-range missiles only if Mr Reagan certified to Congress after April 1 that Moscow had not acted in good faith to curb its own arsenal of such weapons in Europe.