Lawmakers October 20 1983
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Lawmakers 10/20/1983
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Paul Duke introduces report on change in Senate Armed Services Committee influencing changing military policy.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
8/23/1983 Senator John Tower (R - Texas) announcing that he won't seek re-election. I have come to the Capitol today, to announce that upon the completion of my term, I will not stand for re-election to the United States Senate. People clapping loudly. I see that pleases some people. I feel that after 24 years of elected office that it s time for me to turn my attention to other endeavors.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
2/3/1983 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. Senator John Tower (R - Texas) This morning we are convened to discuss the price of our national defenses. But really we are here to talk about the price of preserving our freedom... Caspar Weinberger sits in front of Senate Armed Services Committee.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator Carl Levin (D - Michigan) There was that perception, that Senator Tower being such a staunch advocate of large increases in the defense budget, willing to take the stump to the Floor, arguing for those increases, that his departure would hurt the chances of those increases continuing.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator Henry Jackson (D - Washington) in Committee session.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator John Warner (R - Virginia) in office, Senator Jackson had a sense of military history, history of the Soviet Union second to no one in the United States Senate. And his spirit, his firm hand, his knowledge will not be replaced very soon.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator John Tower (R - Texas) on the death of Senator Henry Jackson. I think really the most devastating blow to our efforts in the Congress to maintain an adequate military establishment, of course is the loss of Scoop Jackson.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator Sam Nunn (D - Georgia) You can t help but conclude that the committee (Senate Armed Services Committee) will be different without them. I don t know whether you would call it a philosophical difference, it will be a difference in terms of leadership. We will not have people who are nearly as well known
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator William Cohen (R - Maine) I think that you re going to have some of the younger members moving up to positions of leadership whether in the majority or minority, but who also hold some pretty soundly rooted beliefs about the need for a strong defense. But who are also aware that we may have to do things a bit differently.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
I.M. Destler, I think the death of Senator Jackson and the forthcoming retirement of Senator Tower, are going to confirm a trend of conservative to moderate pragmatism.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senate Armed Services Committee in session. Various Senators on the Committee. Senator John Warner (R - Virginia) Nothing in this world is certain, but death and taxes. In my humble judgment you can add - Nothing in this world is certain now, but death, taxes and a cut by Congress in defense spending. Caspar Weinberger sits in front of Senate Armed Services Committee.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senate Armed Services Committee in session. Senator Carl Levin (D - Michigan) Now, when you have the Republican leader of the Senate saying that $15 billion in cuts - in outlays - is not enough, it seems to me that we are clearly embarked on a critical decision and that is where are we going to make the cuts.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator Carl Levin (D - Michigan) in office. I think there will be a greater willingness to be constructive critics of Pentagon policy. The Committee has tended too often to be supportive of defense policies which don t deserve to be supported because of the determination that we re going to be unified and strong for defense. I happen to be strong for defense too, but I think we ve been wasting a lot of money for procurement
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Exterior of Pentagon.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
I.M. Destler, I think the new guard are more likely to ask critical questions about not only where the level of defense spending is leading but about choices in resources. Are we spending so much on weapons that we aren t doing enough for readiness, for training, for quality of manpower - that sort of question.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator William Cohen (R - Maine) I think that whenever you have younger members coming up that there is always reform in the air. And that they are looking for new ways to solve old problems.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator Sam Nunn (D - Georgia) I think there is less automatic falling in line - whatever the Department of Defense or the Pentagon says. But I still believe the Armed Services Committee will be very strong for national security and very strong in foreign policy. We may not always agree with the Pentagon. I do not think agreeing with the Pentagon and being for a strong national defense are necessarily always synonymous.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senate Armed Services Committee in session, pan from Senators to Casper Weinberger and Joint Chiefs of Staff at witness table.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Exterior of Pentagon.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator John Warner (R - Virginia) I think that would be a turn for the better, if the Pentagon were apprehensive about the Committee being somewhat critical.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Senator Carl Levin (D - Michigan) Hopefully they ll understand that these kind of dissenting voices, critical voices, are coming from friends of the military not enemies. They re coming from people who want us to be stronger, not from people who are trying to unilaterally disarm us.
Lawmakers October 20 1983
Paul Duke concludes the report.