Diary Entry - 08/04/1982
Key Facts
President Reagan meets with a bi-partisan group of Members of Congress to discuss the Broomfield-Carney-Stratton nuclear arms control resolution.
President Reagan participates in a Cabinet Council meeting on Commerce and Trade.
Israeli planes, gunboats, and artillery stage a major attack across West Beirut, Lebanon.
Awakened about 6:30 A.M. by Bill Clark. The Israelis had moved to new positions within W. Beirut & were shelling the city. N.S.C. meeting at 9:30 we sent reply to King Fahd re getting the P.L.O. to quit stalling & get out and a msg. to Begin from me that a ceasefire was necessary & continued offense could bring a drastic change in our future relationship. Then I moved to a full day of meetings—1 cabinet but the rest with various groups of Reps. & Sens. re the tax bill & 1 on the resolution regarding a nuclear freeze. We won on the Const. amendment to balance the budget—69 to 31. Russell Long gave us the deciding vote. Met with Jack Kemp (alone) & then in leadership meeting. He is adamant that we are wrong on the tax increase. He is in fact unreasonable. The tax increase is the price we have to pay to get the budget cuts.
