49. Memorandum From Paul Henze of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)1
SUBJECT
- Adverse Congressional Developments re VOA and BIB
SUMMARY:
Moves are afoot in the McGovern subcommittee of the SFRC which could disadvantage present arrangements for operation of both VOA and RFE/RL. We need to take measures to have White House views transmitted clearly to key Senate (and perhaps House) leaders.
DISCUSSION:
Percy has introduced an amendment (publicized in the Post this morning) to have VOA set up autonomously and make other changes in the USIA/CU set up which represent implementation of the Stanton Report.2 According to Leonard Marks, Percy has agreed with McGovern and Pell that he will support their BIB amendment if they support this one. The Percy amendment has not yet been adopted.
Meanwhile a McGovern-Pell Amendment was adopted by the McGovern subcommittee which completely changes the BIB RFE/RL set up. It provides for expansion of the BIB to 10 members who would become the operating body for RFE/RL because the RFE/RL Board is forbidden by the same amendment from receiving any appropriated funds for the radios after 1 January 1977.
[Page 135]The whole SFRC is slated to vote on these amendments some time next week.
The two amendments actually serve contrary purposes—Percy’s takes the VOA out from under government control; McGovern-Pell’s puts RFE/RL under direct government control!
I have had calls from BIB, RFE/RL, Leonard Marks and John Hayes and have also talked to John Reinhardt, who is strongly opposed to Percy’s initiative and is attempting to enlist the support of State for his position. He asked that in any initiative taken from the White House level, his strong opposition to any legislation that changes the present USIA/VOA set-up at this time be cited. (I have not been able to get Gronouski on the phone, but have a call in to him; he can also be of some help, I believe;3 I am also going to talk to Tom Quinn, BIB Board member close to Senator Pell. Quinn, I am told, is not sympathetic with Pell’s initiative, which is actually the initiative of staff member John Ritch. I am also told that Quinn will be responsive to White House wishes.)
RECOMMENDATION
Neither of these amendments is in the interest of the Administration—but we must make the Administration’s views clear to the leadership in Congress or they may be adopted by the SFRC when it meets on Tuesday4 and sent on to the Senate. I suggest you arrange for me to work with someone on Frank Moore’s staff who can devote a fair measure of consistent energy to this issue. Senators Sparkman, Humphrey and Javits should be contacted and told that the Administration wants all new legislation dealing with the radios and USIA shelved. Senator Robert Byrd should be contacted and told of the Administration’s views, as should Speaker O’Neill and Dante Fascell. I am told that USIA has already had Abbott Washburn talk to Senators Tower and Baker who oppose these amendments.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 1, Chron File: 4–5/77. Confidential. Sent for action. A notation in an unknown hand indicates that a copy was sent to Schecter. In his May 4 Evening Report to Brzezinski, Henze summarized the “two bad amendments” to the Foreign Relations Authorization bill, adding: “If we don’t act to fend these [amendments] off, the whole radio broadcasting field could be badly screwed up by them.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 5, Evening Reports File: 2–6/77)↩
- On May 3, Percy proposed an amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization bill. The amendment would require the Carter administration to devise a reorganization plan that would establish the VOA as an independent agency and establish a separate, autonomous agency for coordination of cultural affairs. (Richard Weintraub, “Percy Introduces Legislation to Break up USIA, Create Independent VOA,” The Washington Post, May 4, 1977, p. A3). The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Operations, on May 5, adopted Percy’s proposal as an amendment to the pending legislation, with strong support from McGovern, Biden, and Pell. (“Senators Ask Autonomy for the Voice of America,” The New York Times, May 6, 1977, p. 10 and “Separate Status Urged For Voice of America,” The Washington Post, May 6, 1977, p. A2)↩
- In his May 4 Evening Report (see footnote 1, above), Henze wrote that he had spoken to Gronouski that evening about the two amendments: “He is still mediating a strike in Milwaukee but is very upset about them and plans to call McGovern and possibly others this evening or tomorrow.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 5, Evening Reports File: 2–6/77)↩
- May 10.↩