Gen. Powell Gives Priority to Funds for Stealth Bomber

A key congressional Democrat, exploring how deeply strategic weapons can be cut without losing Pentagon support for arms control talks, was told Tuesday that canceling the B-2 Stealth bomber could be fatal but that eliminating the Midgetman missile probably would not.

At a hearing on President Bush’s defense budget, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Les Aspin (D-Wis.) probed the Administration’s tolerance for strategic weapons cuts in a lively exchange with Gen. Colin L. Powell, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The discussion presaged what is expected to be one of the hottest budget battles on Capitol Hill this year in the midst of massive change in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.

Powell testified that ending production of the radar-evading B-2 would cause the chiefs of the military services to “make a very careful reassessment” of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) being negotiated by the United States and the Soviet Union.

He noted that the chiefs had supported START talks in part because the B-2 could be used to take advantage of proposed rules for counting nuclear warheads under consideration in the negotiations.

When Aspin asked if Congress had to fund all 132 planned B-2s for the chiefs to continue endorsing START, Powell said he would have to check that.

Aspin, suggesting how far he might be willing to go beyond the 13 planes already in the pipeline, rejoined: “Try 30.”

“All right, sir,” Powell said.

Aspin also asked Powell what the military chiefs would do on START if Congress killed the truck-borne Midgetman strategic missile but retained the rail-mobile MX.

Although the Administration has requested funds for both long-range weapons in its fiscal 1991 budget, Powell said the chiefs probably could live with only the MX.

Addressing Powell and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, Aspin asserted that “change is outracing both our government’s arms control proposals and the defense budget you have put before us.

“There are new realities in the world but no new thinking at home to match them.”

Aspin and House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.), who spoke separately with reporters, predicted that the House would substantially cut President Bush’s $295.1-billion defense request, especially proposed spending on strategic weapons and troop levels in Europe.

Foley called recommendations for heavy increases in spending for the MX, Midgetman and the “Star Wars” anti-missile program “highly questionable in today’s environment.”

At the House hearing, Aspin led a parade of Democrats and Republicans sharply challenging Cheney’s proposal to close 43 military bases--including 10 in California--and to consolidate or realign scores of others.

In the roughest treatment dealt Cheney all day, Aspin questioned his former House colleague’s reputation as a “smooth operator” and warned: “You’ve got to play this thing a little less confrontational if you want this to happen.”

The committee chairman said Cheney should have done what his predecessor, Frank C. Carlucci, did in moving to close bases two years ago: propose having a bipartisan commission develop the list. Congress eventually approved the closing of 86 bases.

Aspin suggested that Cheney wants to use his new hit list as a political club to intimidate lawmakers, especially Democrats, who seek to cut Bush’s defense budget.

Although some bases need to be closed, Aspin said, the Administration must accept creation of a commission to oversee the process. That is the only way Congress will pass legislation sought by the Administration to clear judicial obstacles blocking base closings, he said.

Cheney, responding that he was open to the commission idea, denied that his list was politically motivated. Aspin challenged that claim.

“Cheney,” he said brightly but with an edge to his voice, “you remind me of Claude Rains in ‘Casablanca.’ Cheney is shocked--shocked!--to discover that there is politics going on in this town.”

“No, that’s high praise, Mr. Chairman,” Cheney responded, laughing, “high praise, indeed.”