(page 1) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1991 9:30 A.M. - S-230 MEETING WITH SECRETARY CHENEY RE: DEFENSE BILL Secretary Cheney (handwritten check mark) Dole (handwritten check mark) Warner (handwritten check mark) Thurmond (handwritten check mark) Cohen (handwritten check mark) McCain - POW/MIA Meeting Wallop - (crossed out) will call back Lott Coats (handwritten check mark) Mack Smith Jim Dyer (handwritten check mark) Rep from NSC (handwritten check mark) (page 2) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1991 9:30 A.M. - S-230 MEETING WITH SECRETARY CHENEY RE: DEFENSE BILL Secretary Cheney Dole Warner Thurmond Cohen McCain - POW/MIA Meeting Wallop - will call back Lott Coats Mack Smith Jim Dyer Rep from NSC (page 3) (all handwritten) Warner Y Thurmond Y Cohen (crossed out "w.c.b.") Y McCain - (crossed out "w.c.b.") NO Wallop - (crossed out) (unintelligible) w.c.b. Lott - Y call Susan Coats - Y Mack - (crossed out "w.c.b.") Y Smith -Y 9:30 (page 4) MEMORANDUM OF CALL TO: YOU WERE CALLED BY- YOU WERE VISITED BY- (handwritten) earlier (end handwritten) OF (Organization) PLEASE CALL PHONE NO. CODE/EXT. WILL CALL AGAIN IS WAITING TO SEE YOU RETURNED YOUR CALL WISHES AN APPOINTMENT MESSAGE (handwritten) (unintelligible) Defense bill armed (end handwritten) RECEIVED BY (handwritten) rep of scow (end handwritten) DATE TIME GPO: 1991 48-337 (m) (page 5) NOVEMBER 5, 1991 TO: SENATOR DOLE FROM: DAN STANLEY SUBJECT: MEETING WITH CHENEY I spoke with Senator Warner regarding the meeting with Cheney you asked for. Warner strongly supports the idea and believes that it should occur as soon as possible. I have talked with the Secretary's office and they will try to accommodate your desires. Nunn is still working on language in the Soviet aid section and in a section on voluntary separation incentives. The bill could be available for Senate action as early as tomorrow afternoon. That would require agreement on the language today and the House taking it up tomorrow morning -- optimistic, but not out of the question. Warner expressed his frustration at not being able to get a position from Cheney or Scowcroft until the deal was finally finished. Still, Warner believes that Nunn and Scowcroft have been in contact on the issue, but doesn't know first hand what Scowcroft's position is. Warner talked to him this morning and asked that Scowcroft designate an individual who would speak for him on the issue. Warner requests that Scowcroft's representative attend the Cheney meeting. Further, I recommend that you invite Jim Dyer. The purpose of the meeting would be to hear how strongly Cheney feels about the bill and what might result if the Senate votes it down, exchange views from a small group of Republican members to get their thoughts, and ultimately decide how to handle the conference report on the floor. Depending on what is decided, you may want the Secretary to address an all member meeting to discuss his views. DO YOU WANT TO MEET WITH CHENEY, WARNER, AND A GROUP OF MEMBERS TODAY OR TOMORROW? YES NO TODAY TOMORROW (handwritten) Cheney NSC armed Service - Jenny (unintelligible) (end handwritten) (page 6) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1991 9:30 A.M. - S-230 MEETING WITH SECRETARY CHENEY RE: DEFENSE BILL Secretary Cheney Dole Warner Thurmond Cohen McCain - POW/MIA Meeting Wallop - will call back Lott Coats Mack Smith Jim Dyer Rep from NSC (page 7) THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1991 9:30 A.M. - S-230 MEETING WITH SECRETARY CHENEY RE: DEFENSE BILL Secretary Cheney Dole Warner Thurmond Cohen McCain - POW/MIA Meeting Wallop - will call back Lott Coats Mack Smith Jim Dyer Rep from NSC (page 8) NOVEMBER 6, 1991 TO: SENATOR DOLE FROM: DAN STANLEY SUBJECT: CHENEY MEETING At issue is what to do about the Soviet aid package in the Defense conference report. Nunn continues to soften the language in the aid package and is seeking to shore up the Democrats which are making noises about potential political ramifications. Nunn has been able to sell this package because it is completely discretionary in nature. It establishes a "blue ribbon commission" that will advise the President -- giving him the authority to spend up to $1 billion out of DoD accounts to provide humanitarian assistance, use DoD aircraft to fly food, and destroy chemical and nuclear weapons. Essentially, the package is a laundry list of things the President might do to stabilize the situation in the former Soviet Union. The language about retraining Soviet military personnel and converting Soviet defense plants is the real political dynamite. In my view, it doesn't matter to the grass roots whether the package is discretionary or not -- the political spin remains the same -- the Democrats gut our defenses laying off tens of thousands of American workers, and offer up $1 billion to retrain Soviets and convert their industry. What I don't understand is why Nunn and Aspin would continue to hang on to this proposal, why they continue to modify the language in order to sell it -- all the while telling people that it doesn't really mean anything? If it is just symbolic, what is the point? Especially given how the unemployed American workers will view the "symbol". Cheney is there to provide input about the importance of the bill and how he views the risks associated with defeating it (SDI, substantial sums for B-2 etc) . Warner has asked for a representative from the NSC (Scowcroft is with the President). Warner believes that Nunn has talked with Scowcroft but Warner complains that he could not get a position from the NSC. Ginny Lampley will attend for Scowcroft. ATTENDEES: CHENEY COATS MACK DYER WARNER SMITH LOTT LAMPLEY (NSC LEG) THURMOND WALLOP ?