Diary Entry - 05/17/1983
Key Facts
President Reagan announces to the Republican Congressional leadership that there will be no compromise with the Democratic budget proposal.
The House Appropriations Committee approves the MX missile program 30 to 26.
Israel and Lebanon sign a peace agreement, ending The 1982 Lebanon War.
Started day with Cong. Repub. leadership meeting. Main item was budget. I told them I wanted to stick with our budget. They want to try for a budget resolution which means a compromise with the Dems. I think it would be a disaster. We’ll probably wind up with a year of me vetoing appropriations. We had an N.S.C. briefing then right into another meeting with a group of Dem. & Repub. House members on MX. I think we did some good. Later in the day the House Appropriations Committee approved the MX 30 to 26 (11 Dems. with us). It will be a close battle on the floor. A luncheon in the St. Dining room for the Council on the arts & humanities. Nancy & I handed out a dozen awards. Spent 2 hours again prepping for the Press Conf. And now it is 9 P.M. & the press conf. is over. It went well & they didn’t draw blood. Oh! The Lebanese & Israeli’s signed the agreement today.
