1866 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 5, 1979 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION session, thereby precluding the poosibility period of time for congressional review TO IMPROVE CONGRESSIONAL of any congressional oversight or action. would be onerous bncden for the prospec­ OVERSIGHT OF ARMS SALES Only an unwritteill, unspoken assumption tive arms buyer or for the Departments that such action would violate the spirit of State or Defense. Clearly, the addition of the act prevents such a decision by the of a few days or weeks to the process of HON-. ROBERT F. ORIN AN executive to escape congressional over­ foreign military sales will not have any OF MASSACHUSETTS sight. It is time to write this assumption deleterious effect. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES into law so that we do not oonfront the Nor does anyone need to fear that the Monday, February 5, 1979 ever-present possibility that at some time additional review period might prevent in the future an admind.stration will be the United States from providing mili­ • Mr. DRINAN. Mr. Speaker, on Janu­ able to complete a major weapons sale tary supplies to an ally during an emer­ ary 15 I introduced legislation to amend which is opposed by the majority of the gency. The most recent example of such the Arms Export COilitrol Act to extend Congress and the American people by the a situation was the Middle East war of the time period for oon.gressional review simple expedient of proposing it during a 1973. At that time, Israel, under attack of major weapons sales proposals from congressional recess. on two fronts by enemies who were being 30 calendar days to 45 days in which The bill simply amends section 36 (b) supplied with massive quantities of arms Congress is in continuous session. of the Arms Export Control Act to give by the Soviet Union, needed replacement As originally adopted in 1975, the land­ the Congress 45 days during which it is equipment. This was provided in the mark Arms Export Act provided Congress in continuous session, rather than the form of grants, not sales. Thus, any with 20 calendar days in which to dis­ present 30 calendar days, within which repetition of the emergency which oc­ approve major arms sales by adoption of to consider and, if warranted, take action curred in the Middle East would result in joint resolutions of disapproval by the to disapprove by joint resolution all U.S. arms transfers totally outside the House and Senate. This time period weapons sales in excess of $25 million. scope of the Arms Export Control Act proved inadequate, and in 1976 Congress The only change is in the time period. and the oversight mechanisms contained increased the time period from 20 to 30 Forty-five days of continuous session therein. calendar days. Recent experience, how­ simply means that no days during are­ Mr. Speaker, there is simply no reason ever, indicates clearly that this marginal cess of either House of Congress of more for us to delay in taking the necessary increase is also insufficient to afford Con­ than 3 days could count against the action to improve congressional oversight gress the time necessary for careful con­ overall review period, in effect extending of major arms sales. At present, that sideration of weapons transfers which it for a corresponding amount of time. oversight responsibility is seriously com­ have major foreign policy implications. The legislative precedent for the con­ promised by a time period which is too Moreover, the time period remained one tinuous session formula is found in sec­ brief and method of computing that time of calendar rather than legislative days, tion 601 of the Arms Export Control Act period which is subject to abuse by the thereby making no distinction between of 1976. This proposed change in the Executive. In order to permit Congress to legislative sessions and recesses. language of the law would prevent a review major arms sales effectively, we Events in the closing days of the 94th situation in which an administration must amend the Arms Export Control Congress demonstrated the shortcomings could report one or several proposed Act so as to extend and revise the period of the 30-calendar day period. On Sep­ weapons sales during the August recess, of time within which Congress can act. It tember 1, 1976, just prior to the Labor for example, and thus effectively prevent is my hope that the House will act Day recess, the President submitted to congressional review and a possible veto. promptly on this measure, so that Con­ the Congress, pursuant to the terms of Increasingly, some of our Nation's most gress can assume its proper role in the the Arms Export Control Act, proposals important foreign policy decisions take oversight of all future arms sales. to sell arms to 11 separate nations at a the form of arms transfers. We have wit­ The text of the legislation follows: total cost of over $6 billion contained in nessed an alarming increase in the vol­ H .R . - 37 separate transaJctions. Starting from ume of foreign military sales and a dis­ A bill to amend the Arms Export Control Act the moment Congress received the Exec­ turbing growth of sales to developing na­ to change the method of determining the utive announcement, the clock began tions and those in very volatile parts of period of time for adopting a concurrent ticking toward the 30-day deadline. Fail­ the world. In addition, the weapons resolution of Con gress objecting to a pro­ ure to act positively would mean that the which we sell are more sophisticated and posed sale under such Act sale would go forward exactly as pro­ destructive than ever before. In contrast Be it enacted by the Senate and House posed by the President. When Congress to the days when we sold surplus stocks of Representativ es of the United States of returned from the Labor Day recess, America in Congress assembled, That the last almost exclusively and confined these sentence of section 36(b) (1) of the Arms during the extremely busy closing days sales largely to traditional allies, today Export Control Act is amended by striking of the legislative session, the House and we sell our most advanced and deadly out "thirty calendar days after receiving such Senate had but 24 days within which to military weapons systems to nations certification" and inserting in lieu thereof consider these 37 major arms sales. throughout the world, many of which "the first period of forty-five days of con­ The proposal to sell AWACS to Iran is have traditionally been hostile to the po­ tinuous session of Congress after the date another example of the need for an ex­ licies and interests of the United States. on which Congress receives such certifica­ tension of the congressional review pe­ If Congress is to exercise responsibly its tion."• riod. The debate in Congress on the sale oversight of American foreign policy, it of seven E-3A airborne warning and con­ must be able to analyze carefully and, TRIBUTE TO ANDY BIEMILLER trol system <AWACS) to Iran for $1.2 if necessary, disapprove foreign military billion raised a number of very serious sales. This is difficult if not impossible questions. Not the least of them was the under the existing 30-calendar-day re­ HON. FRANK THOMPSON, JR. ability of the Congress to be certain that view period. OF NEW JERSEY it had enough time to debate fully and It is essential to note that major weap­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES analyze thoroughly all major arms sales. ons sales are not the subject of spur of In light of current unrest in that coun­ the moment decisions; they are dis­ Thursday, February 1, 1979 try, further consideration was clearly cussed, planned and negotiated months e Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I speak called for. or years in advance of the actual com­ today to honor a man who has been con­ At present, there is nothing in the mencement of the transfer. Moreover, tributing to the legislative process for as Anns Export Control Act which would arms sales contracts can extend over long as any current Member of Congress. prevent any administration from sub­ several years. There is, therefore, no rea­ For 50 years Andy Biemiller has served mitting a sale when Congress is not in son to believe that a slightly extended this country in a variety of public roles • This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. February 5, 1979 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 1867 including teacher, journalist, State and What speaks most highly of Andy needed for national security, and in re­ Federal law writer and lawmaker. For the Biemiller is that he was welcome all over sponse to these people the President has longest, most recent period of time Andy the Hill in offices of Congresspersons of announced to the NATO allies that America's has been the chief advocate and lobbyist every political persuasion. He managed real defense spending will rise by 3% in 1980 provided only that infiation is held in check. for the AFL-CIO and the entire labor to become almost an institution. When­ The budget cutter thus finds that this ave­ movement. ever an important social issue causes a nue to a smaller deficit is controversial as I am not eloquent enough to express need for good solid analysis, understand­ well. sufficiently the great esteem and high ing, and advocacy, his absence will be Other large budget categories, such as in­ regard I, as well as the other Members of felt.