Lawmakers April 28 1983
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Lawmakers 4/28/1983
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Paul Duke introduces a segment on public opinion impact on foreign policy.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Lee Hamilton (D - Indiana) My constituents worry a lot because the Congress and the President do not always act harmoniously. Our allies worry about that. They read about these conflicts and they think American foreign policy is in disarray, as they put it. I understand those concerns. But I think they must understand our Constitution and the way we make policy here. And we make policy through that vigorous discussion back and forth between the President and Congress and from that discussion better policy immerges.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
DO NOT USE CU of page from a book with the parts of the Constitution.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Washington DC. White House. Capitol dome.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Lee Hamilton (D - Indiana), The old story about Harry Truman - asked Harry Truman who makes foreign policy. And he said I make foreign policy. And in those days I suspect Harry Truman was correct.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida), Back in 1955 when I first started here it was the President who made the foreign policy. The Congress had its voice but it had not yet reacted to the Vietnam situation.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
(B/W) Exterior of White House at night. President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) in Oval Office with his advisors, signing Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
(B/W) Vietnam War. Army medics unloading wounded GI'S from helicopters.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
DO NOT USE Still photo
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Senator Charles Percy (R - Illinois) Certainly Vietnam told the administration at that time that there was no way to conduct foreign policy without the support of the people. And representatives of the people responded in that way with the War Power Act. I put the first resolution in calling for a War Powers Act.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
DO NOT USE Page with text of War Powers Act.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida), and over-simplify the argument it went something like this - if we re going to be at the landings, we want to be there when we take off.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Washington DC. United States Capitol building.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida), If we re going to declare war, Congress has to get in the act. And in all other cases the Congress is in the act anyway because we have to supply the money. So there is no way to say the President has got the sole responsibility and everybody should do what he says. It takes two to tango.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Michael Barnes (D - Maryland), I remember that Teddy Roosevelt got into a big fight with Congress over whether or not he could send a fleet around the world. Congress said you can t. He said I m going to. And he sent the fleet half way because he had the money to do that and he said if you want to bring them home, you bring them home. This is not a new problem, Congress s role in foreign policy, it goes back to the fundamental responsibility that Congress was given in the Constitution and it s going to always be with us.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
April 27, 1983 Ronald Reagan Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on Central America. Overhead shot of House chamber, members applauding.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Lee Hamilton (D - Indiana), There are all types of criticisms of the Congress when it deals with foreign policy, but one of the things that s very important to note is that the Congress has one great attribute and that is it representativeness. It is close to the people. It is accessible to the people. You can t go in and talk to the President of the United States if you re Mr. and Mrs. Jim Smith out here on the street. They can come in and talk to their Representative and to their Senator.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
A young couple with child talking to Senator Joseph Biden (D - Delaware) at a Delaware "town meeting" on El Salvador.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
April 27, 1983 Ronald Reagan Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on Central America. Reagan walking through House chamber shaking hands with Congressmen.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Senator Charles Percy (R - Illinois), Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Oh I ve sensed criticism of administrations ever since I ve been in government. Foreign policy is an area where everyone seems to jump in and Congress is particularly critical in these areas. But I don t see it much different from previous administrations
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) There are times when the Congress just rubber stamps the President. There are times when the Congress just absolutely refuses to do it. But no foreign policy, whether it s direct war or indirect war or otherwise or just a policy, no foreign policy is worth the paper it s written on or the statements its made about if it isn t supported by the American people. You need a consensus.
Lawmakers April 28 1983
Paul Duke, Linda Wertheimer, and Cokie Roberts discuss Congress and foreign policy. Paul Duke comments since Members of Congress now travel more and have bigger staffs; they feel like they can take more informed and stronger stands on foreign policy. Linda Wertheimer comments Richard Stone has been appointed special envoy to Central America, a concession that Congress got from Reagan on El Salvador aid. Stone has potential conflicts with his past lobbying career. Cokie Roberts comments that the House Intelligence Committee delayed a vote on cutting off funds for the CIA to aid Nicaraguan insurgents until after a session of House, which will allow House Intelligence Committee to report to other members.