Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XXX, Public Diplomacy

65. Memorandum From Paul Henze of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski)¹

Washington, June 15, 1977

SUBJECT

• Reorganization of USIA, etc.

Secretary Vance has submitted his recommendations² to the President on reorganization of USIA. They are good. State CU, according to this plan, will be amalgamated with a restructured USIA, but the whole entity (perhaps renamed) would be subordinated to State after the pattern of AID. VOA remains part of USIA as it is now, but would of course end up in a closer relationship to State. These recommendations represent a rejection of most of the Stanton Report³ and are welcome from this viewpoint. My only quarrel is with the subordination of the revised USIA to State.⁴ It is to the advantage of the White House to retain its present status as an independent agency, which it has been since 1953. No former USIA director has advocated its amalgamation into State and many Congressmen and Senators take a dim view of this proposition. I have summed up these views in the attached memorandum from you to the President (Tab I).⁵

At lunch today I discussed all these matters in detail with John Reinhardt. The main advocate at State of subordination, he says, is Assistant Secretary for Cultural Affairs Duffy. Reinhardt prefers independent status, as now, but is prepared to compromise on a relationship with State like that of ACDA. He is very pleased, by the way, at the growing relationship between USIA and the NSC Staff and wishes to expand it.⁶

RECOMMENDATION

That you send the attached memorandum at Tab I to the President.⁷

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Agency File, Box 17, State: 6/77. Confidential. Sent for action. A copy was sent to Schecter. Inderfurth initialed the top right-hand corner of the memorandum. Scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, vol. XXVII, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy.
2. See Document 64.
3. See footnote 3, Document 1.
4. Aaron underlined the portion of this sentence beginning with “My” and ending with “quarrel.”
5. Attached but not printed is an undated memorandum from Brzezinski to the President. The memorandum includes handwritten corrections and additions made by both Brzezinski and Aaron.
6. In his June 15 Evening Report to Brzezinski, Henze elaborated on his luncheon meeting with Reinhardt: “He [Reinhardt] wants USIA to keep its independent status but will put up hard fight to do so only if he is sure of your backing. He says that Congressmen and Senators who are interested in USIA practically all favor its continuation as independent agency and will support amalgamation of State CU into it, as Vance memo proposes.” (Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, Horn/Special (Henze), Box 5, Evening Reports File: 2–6/77)
7. Brzezinski did not approve or disapprove the recommendation. Below it, Inderfurth wrote: “I’ve bracketed one sentence I would delete. RI. P.S. This is needed by June 20 at the latest.” Aaron wrote “Why? DA” in the right-hand margin and drew an arrow from it to Inderfurth’s initials.