Diary Entry - 01/25/1983
Key Facts
In the annual State of the Union Address, President Reagan calls for a freeze in the growth of federal spending and a “standby” tax increase of up to $50 billion for fiscal 1986-88.
According to ABC, President Reagan's approval ratings rose 15 points after the State of the Union Address.
President Reagan meets with Vice President Bush regarding his upcoming visit to Europe and the address he will deliver in Berlin.
Met with House & Sen. Repub. leadership re tonite’s St. of the U. & next Monday’s Bud. Msg. It was the best meeting we’ve ever had & all pledged loyalty. Then a meeting preliminary to the V.P.’s visit to Europe & Geo. S.’s visit to Asia. George is going to read a msg. from me publicly in Berlin re the I.N.F. talks in Geneva. We intend to steal back the high ground the Russians are trying to occupy. In China Sec. Shultz will resist any effort by P.R.C. to oust Taiwan from the Asian Bank. A lengthy meeting of N.S.C. re the START talks which are kind of stalled over the Phase I Phase II framework—Russians want to make them all Phase I. I think we’ve found a framework. Dropped in on a lunch our team had for T.V. anchormen briefing them on tonites St. of the U. Back to the W.H.—Nancy is home—thank Heaven with Ron & Doria. St. of the U. went well. Dems. followed it on networks with a film made weeks ago. They goofed—their supposed rebuttal turned out to be an advocacy of things I’d said we were going to do—interrupted here & there with charges that I was against such things. ABC did a before the speech & after-poll. I rose 15 points in approval by the end of speech.
