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Letter to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House Transmitting Proposed Appropriation Legislation for the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency

February 07, 1974

I AM transmitting herewith proposed legislation to extend the appropriation authorization for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, along with a letter from the Director of that Agency in support of this legislation.

Major progress has been made toward this Administration's high priority foreign policy and national security objective of establishing effective arms control arrangements. Most importantly, the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks with the Soviet Union have resulted in definitive treaty limitations on strategic defensive systems and an agreement for interim limitations on strategic offensive systems. The continuing Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, accelerated by agreements reached at the June, 1973, Summit Conference, now are focused on achieving definitive treaty limitations on strategic offensive systems. Also of major importance was the initiation last year of negotiations to reduce the military confrontation in Central Europe.

The objective of this Administration to replace the dangers of a continuing unchecked arms race with the greater security afforded by the establishment of reliable controls over armaments has been well served by the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. This has been demonstrated especially by the Agency's key role in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks and the talks on mutual and balanced force reductions in Central Europe. The work of the Agency in these and other forums is vital to future progress in the difficult area of arms control and disarmament.

The draft legislation I am transmitting today would authorize appropriations for the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency for fiscal years 1975 and 1976. It also amends the Agency's authority to procure the services of experts and consultants so as to make this authority comparable to that prevailing elsewhere in the Executive Branch. This change is necessary for the Agency to continue to attract highly qualified consultants to assist it in its tasks.

I urge the Congress to give this bill prompt and favorable consideration.

Sincerely,

RICHARD NIXON

Note: This is the text of identical letters addressed to the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, President of the Senate, and the Honorable Carl Albert, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Richard Nixon, Letter to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House Transmitting Proposed Appropriation Legislation for the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/256285

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