232. Action Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations (Bennet) to Secretary of State Vance1
Phone Calls on Panama Implementing Legislation
ISSUE FOR DECISION
Whether you will agree to call Henry Kissinger, Dean Rusk and five congressmen to gather support for the Panama Canal treaty implementing legislation.
ESSENTIAL FACTORS
The effort to reach a working majority on the implementing legislation in the House reaches its climax this week and the White House has asked Cabinet officers for support. You have been asked to call former Secretaries Kissinger and Rusk to request their help with certain Members. If you decide to call, you should ask Kissinger to call John Rhodes, Bob Michel, Bill Broomfield and John Buchanan.2 Rusk should be asked to call Michel, Rhodes, Edgar Jenkins (D-Ga.) and Elliott Levitas (D-Ga.)3
We recommend that you phone the following congressmen urging them to vote against amendments that would constitute treaty violations and using the general talking points attached:
Floyd Fithian (D-Ind.)
Ben Gilman (R-N.Y.)4
Jim Leach (R-Iowa)
Bob McClory (R-Ill.)5
Bob Young (D-Mo.)
Recommendation:
1. That you call Kissinger and Rusk.6
2. That you call the Congressmen listed above.7
[Page 570]Attachment:
Tab 1—Talking Points8
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P790089–0816. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Atwood and cleared in S/PTA by Popper.↩
- Vance highlighted this sentence and underlined “Kissinger to call John Rhodes, Bob Michel, Bill Broomfield and John Buchanan.”↩
- Vance highlighted this sentence and underlined “Michel, Rhodes, Edgar Jenkins (D-Ga.) and Elliott Levitas (D-Ga.)”↩
- Vance placed a checkmark next to this name.↩
- Vance placed a checkmark next to this name.↩
- Vance checked the approve option on June 8.↩
- Vance did not indicate his approval or disapproval of the recommendation.↩
- Attached but not printed.↩