Senate Panel Cuts SALT Out of Money Bill

A Senate panel today approved a $9-billion supplemental appropriations bill for 1987 but removed language that would have forced President Reagan to abide by nuclear arms limits in the unratified SALT II treaty.

By a 13-12 vote, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment that would have limited the Soviet Union and the United States each to 1,320 land- and submarine-fired, long-range missiles and aircraft-launched cruise missiles. The limitation was included in a supplemental spending bill approved last week by the House.

“I’ll take it to the floor,” said Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-Ark.), who sponsored the language.

Message From Reagan

The key vote was cast by Sen. Bennett J. Johnston (D-La.), who during the roll call said he had received a message from the White House that Reagan would approve the bill if it did not contain the arms control provision.

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.)and others had indicated they would filibuster the spending bill if it included the arms control language.

The House spending bill also contains the same SALT II language and another provision that would ban most U.S. nuclear weapons testing. But Bumpers chose not to introduce the arms testing language, saying he was not an expert on it.