Statement of Administration Policy: S.J. Res. 113 - Resolution Conditioning the Export of Technology to Codevelop the FSX Aircraft with Japan

(House Rules)
(Dixon (D) Illinois and eleven others)

The Administration opposes the House Foreign Affairs Committee revised version of the Senate amendment to S.J. Res. 113. If the resolution were presented to the President, his senior advisers would recommend that he veto it.

After careful interagency review, the President decided to proceed with joint United States-Japanese development of the FSX fighter aircraft. The President's decision was based on a number of considerations, including specifically that joint development of the FSX:

• is in the strategic and commercial interests of the United States;
• will contribute to the security of the United States and a major ally, Japan;
• will improve Japan's ability to bear a fair share of the defense burden in the Pacific, at no cost to the American taxpayer;
• will generate substantial work for the United States aerospace industry; and
• will not jeopardize our commitment to the continued excellence of the United States aerospace industry.

S.J. Res. 113 would have originally disapproved the FSX weapon system codevelopment program. Such disapproval was voted down by the Senate on May 16, 1989. On the same day, the Senate approved the Byrd amendment to the defeated resolution of disapproval. The President has expressed his strong opposition to Senator Byrd's amendment to S.J. Res. 113.

The Senate-approved Byrd amendment to S.J. Res. 113 and the continued life of tHat amendment in the House reflect an effort to undo the defeat of the resolution of disapproval. This effort is inconsistent with the existing statutory regime, which was followed as a matter of comity and longstanding practice when the FSX codevelopment Memorandum of Understanding, signed November 29, 1988, was presented for congressional consideration on May 1, 1989. This attempt to circumvent established procedure is a most undesirable precedent and augers a setback in our mutual effort to minimize legislative micromanagement of foreign affairs. The House Foreign Affairs Committee approved version of S.J.Res. 113, moreover, continues to:

• intrude improperly into Executive Branch deliberations;
• compromise the President's ability to exercise effectively his foreign affairs powers; and
• give the General Accounting Office a non- auditing role, including an implicit role in negotiations, that is properly the responsibility of the Executive Branch.