Senators Reject Missile Treaty ‘Killers’

A hefty majority of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee beat down attempts to attach “killer” amendments to the U.S.-Soviet Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty on Wednesday, defeating a proposal that would have delayed implementation of the pact until “parity” is established between conventional forces in Europe.

The 15-2 vote on the amendment by Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), and similar margins on other amendments by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), indicate that the agreement probably will reach the Senate floor unaltered, except for a possible statement requiring Senate approval of any future change in its interpretation.

Senators agreed to complete their deliberations Tuesday after a querulous morning session in which Helms delayed votes on his own amendments until he could see a still-unfinished report by the Armed Services Committee.

Pressler’s amendment would have delayed putting the treaty into effect until the President notifies the Senate that conventional forces of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact are essentially equal.

The Eastern Bloc now has unquestioned superiority in tanks and artillery. Throughout the debate on the nuclear treaty, experts have called for a NATO buildup of conventional weapons, along with modernization of battlefield nuclear arms.

But Democrats and a majority of the Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee rejected Pressler’s amendment on grounds that it would reopen negotiations on the treaty and, perhaps, destroy it.

Although Pressler insisted that the Reagan Administration would accept the proviso, Sens. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) and Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Md.) produced a transcript of testimony at the hearings in which Secretary of State George P. Shultz denounced the proposal as “dumb,” “terrible” and tantamount to “a vote to nullify the treaty.”

Pressler nevertheless maintained that the United States and NATO allies are giving up their “trump card” in the East-West balance by agreeing to withdraw Pershing 2 and ground-launched cruise missiles from Europe. Under the treaty, both sides will eliminate ground-launched missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles.

Exemption Sought

Helms sought to exempt conventionally armed cruise missiles from the agreement, but the amendment was defeated by a 13-2 vote after Maynard Glitman, the chief U.S. representative in the treaty negotiations, reiterated the Administration view that such a step would make verification far more difficult.

More than Helms’ remaining amendments, Senate Democrats consider quick ratification threatened by a dispute with the White House over an airtight declaration of the Senate’s role in the treaty ratification process. The congressional challenge, led by Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), had seemingly been settled after an exchange of letters with the secretary of state.

But in recent days, White House counsel A. B. Culvahouse has sent letters to the committee, which caused senators to question the Administration’s position again.

Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), who earlier had called for the treaty to be ratified without change, said he believes that the Senate must attach a statement “to codify its understanding.”

Efforts led by Cranston, Nunn and Lugar are under way to write language acceptable to the Administration as well as to congressional Republicans and Democrats.

Still unresolved is the question of where the Senate would declare its interpretation of the treaty and assert its right to approve any future change of interpretation.

While Byrd called for the statement to be a part of the treaty, sources said Senate Republicans and the Administration would insist that the clarification be made in the accompanying resolution of ratification.