Reagan begins last year in office

Press, 26 January 1988, Page 6

Reagan begins last year in office

NZPA-Reuter Washington President Reagan will deliver his State of the Union address today, laying out the agenda for his last year in office as Congress opens its 1988 session prepared to help him in some areas and oppose him in others.

The. Democrat-con-trolled Congress is likely to help Mr Reagan on arms control but oppose him on new aid to Nicaraguan contra rebels.

Beginning the final year of his second term in office, Mr Reagan, aged 77, will deliver an address to Congress that aides said will review his record over the last seven years and show that he is determined to lead until his term ends next January 20. Mr Reagan’s speech will stress domestic issues such as. Budget reform, improvements in education, and a new initiative in the American space programme, including a mission to Mars and joint United States-Soviet space exploration, aides said. On the foreign policy front he is expected to press for more aid for the contra rebels, promote his anti-missile “Star Wars” programme and urge swift Senate approval of the arms treaty he signed at the Washington summit in

December with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Mr Reagan, a former Hollywood actor, previewed what he hopes to accomplish between now and next January 20 — when he leaves office — to his official family last week.

“As they say in show biz, let’s bring them to their feet with our closing act,” he joked. While Mr Reagan is legally entitled to give another State of the Union speech before he steps down next year, he does not plan to do so.

After a winter recess, Congress opens a new session today and will immediately begin hearings on the new treaty, which eliminates groundlaunched intermediaterange nuclear forces (INF), missiles with ranges from 500-5500 km.

The Senate has the Constitutional role of passing judgment on all treaties. Even though its opponents admit there is the two-thirds majority in the Senate necessary to approve it, there will be battles over so-called “killer amendments” that legislators may try to attach to the document.

If the INF treaty is approved as expected, Mr Reagan hopes to travel to Moscow this year for a fourth summit.