LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS
LAWMAKERS NUCLEAR FREEZE April 1,1982
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WETA credit/sponsor credits
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PAUL DUKE-on program: NUCLEAR FREEZE MOVEMENT debate in House. COKIE ROBERTS-Senate debate challenges idea of "winnable" war. LINDA WERTHEIMER-report on Sen. NANCY KASSEBAUM (R-KS), who served as an OBSERVER of EL SALVADOR ELECTIONS.
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Title sequence
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DUKE-NUCLEAR ARMS a big issue on Capitol Hill, discussion of a NUCLEAR FREEZE gaining attention. WERTHEIMER-concerns over NUCLEAR WAR are in public eye.
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Shots of REAGAN PRESS CONFERENCE on ARMS RACE. REAGAN discusses SENATE resolutions calling for ARMS REDUCTION, a step in the right direction. Claims he wants to reduce the risk of war. WERTHEIMER v.o.-REAGAN likes one proposal that calls for reductions to equal levels, but only AFTER NEGOTIATIONS, since an immediate freeze would leave the U.S. at a "disadvantage". Shot of a female reporter questioning REAGAN says that given the hugeness of both the U.S. and SOVIET NUCLEAR ARSENALS, it would make sense to achieve a freeze now and negotiate reductions later, which would "SAVE BILLIONS TO HELP POOR PEOPLE". REAGAN says "the truth of the matter" is that the SOVIETS have "a margin of superiority" leaving a "window of vulnerability", blah blah blah. Says a NUCLEAR FREEZE would be "dangerous" to U.S. and remove incentives for the SOVIETS to take part in ARMS REDUCTION.
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Shots of press conference by Senators MARK HATFIELD and TED KENNEDY. KENNEDY denies that the U.S. is inferior to the U.S.S.R. in weapons race, statistics on number of warheads, argues that with submarines, even if the SOVIETS attacked first, the U.S. could respond with 3,000 warheads, totally destroying U.S.S.R. HATFIELD says REAGAN'S press conference points to the truth, which REAGAN wants to encourage an ACCELERATED ARMS RACE. KENNEDY says the basic issue is that millions of Americans support the idea of stopping the ARMS RACE as soon as possible.
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DUKE-Report on 7 hour debate in House on NUCLEAR ARMS POLICY. Calls it a highly charged debate, reminiscent of late 60's debates on Vietnam.
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Shot of rostrum of HOUSE chamber. Shot of TIP O'NEILL recalling a 1969 debate on Vietnam, says that debate started to wind down the war [probably giving Congress way too much credit for turning public opinion against the War], and hopes to do the same for ARMS RACE. Shot of Rep. ROBERT MICHEL, argues that the U.S. can't stop as long as U.S.S.R. keeps building weapons, and says that U.S. missiles for 20 years have been the only thing standing in the way of "those who seek world domination". Shot of Rep. ED MARKEY (D-MA), says ARMS RACE and the prospect of NUCLEAR WAR are the most important issue before Congress. Shot of MICHEL, says that those who want to protect "freedom" must support "credible nuclear deterrent". Shot of MARKEY, calls MICHEL'S argument the same old claptrap, and says that the ARMS RACE can never be won by building new weapons. Shot of MICHEL, arguing that a NUCLEAR FREEZE would jeopardize "the future of freedom", calls the FREEZE MOVEMENT an "ideological fad", also "cowardice, fear, pacifist dogma, misguided enthusiasm, geopolitical ignorance". Identifies "signs of unreality and dangerous hysteria" in FREEZE ADVOCATES [irony lost].
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Shot of Rep. SILVIO CONTE (R-MA), says it's not just the fringes, the peaceniks, but the "solid citizens" who can see that "nuclear superiority" is meaningless and wasteful now that both Superpowers can retaliate in force to an attack. Shot of Rep. JACK KEMP arguing that the only thing worse than an ARMS RACE is LOSING AN ARMS RACE. Shot of Rep. MIKE LOWRY (D-WA), asks how many times over the U.S. has to be able to destroy civilization before it will decide that enough is enough. Says the only thing vulnerable in REAGAN'S "WINDOW OF VULNERABILITY" is THE WORLD. Shot of KEMP, says he's concerned that the U.S. could fall into "inferiority . Shot of Rep. JIM LEACH (R-Iowa), says the idea of inferiority is as ridiculous as thinking of two men locked in a room, one having 50 guns and one having 5,000-someone's going to end up dead regardless. Shot of Rep. GEORGE MILLER (D-CA), says the NUCLEAR FREEZE MOVEMENT is a movement of the whole American people and all of humanity.