August 3, 1982
Dear Mel:
I want to commend you for your leadership during the recent House of Representatives consideration of the Department of Defense authorization bill. I greatly appreciate your efforts to restore and maintain this Nation's defense capabilities.
It is imperative that we maintain a position of unity and strength during the Strategic Arms Reduction Talks (START) currently under way with the Soviet Union. House action on the Defense authorization bill reflected strong bipartisan commitment to our national security efforts, and I am sure that commitment will guide your efforts in the House-Senate conference.
I have previously written you expressing my concern that the House Foreign Affairs Committee ``nuclear freeze'' resolution will undermine our negotiating position with the Soviets during the START talks, by placing the United States in a dangerous position of disadvantage and removing the incentive for serious negotiation by the Soviets. I hope you will urge your colleagues to reject this proposal and pass instead the Broomfield-Carney-Stratton resolution, which will show the Soviet Union that the Congress supports our effort to accomplish meaningful arms reductions.
Thank you again for your continuing support of our national defense.
Sincerely,
Ronald Reagan
[The Honorable Melvin Price, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515]