European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 4, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes students have smashing Patching Page 3 q Gramm Rudman hits old soldiers Home Page 5 Simms passing gives pfc 28-24 win in pro  21 the St is   unofficial publication ran Tim u.�. Armid Roc vol. 44, no. 291 tuesday february 4, 1986 us pm ii of Sudon d 8693 a Aspin warns of huge defense Cut Yoo Hoo Cap Here we come7 Washington a defense Secretary clip Are. Weinberger will seek a $320 billion defense authorization this year but Congress Likely will respond with the largest defense Cut in . History according to the chair Man of the House armed services committee. Relate Story Page 5. Rep. Lei Aspin d-wis., said Weinberger can expect to receive no More than $260 billion for the 1987 fiscal year beginning oct. I because of the severe limits posed by the Gramm Rudman deficit reduction plan. He said cuts in  could Range from $60 Bil lion to $90 billion or More. Cuts of that magnitude will Force Congress to probe the foundation stones of Reagan administration defense and National Security policy questioning for example the nation s continued ability to pay for extended . Military commitments around the world or for the Pentagon s drive to build a 600-ship Navy Aspin said. In a freewheeling interview Aspin who has headed the armed services committee for the last year appeared to relish the consequences of Gramm Rudman contending hat they were brought on by the Reagan administration s attempt to play politics with the loom ing budget deficit. Referring to the defense Secretary by his nickname Cap Aspin said old Cap is up there smoking about $320 billion. How do you get through to the Guy we re going to go Down to $260 billion. Yoo Hoo Cap Here we  you believe where they Are Aspin asked with a laugh. They just have got themselves in an awful  s unbelievable. This is going to be the most interesting year you have Ever  am taking More than a perverse Delight in this Aspin said responding to More  m really angry at them. I think they played real fast and Loose with defense by playing politics wit Gramm Rudman. They endorsed Gramm Rudman for political reasons to get the High ground on the deficit Issue. And anybody who did that is just not serious about defending the  who could see these numbers and play out these scenarios knew that Gramm Rudman would mean just enormous cuts in defense he said. You can t Tell me that anybody who is serious about defense would do that. I think it s really pretty  although administration sources said president Rea Gan will propose a 1987 fiscal year budget calling for Busy week ahead president Reagan the first lady and their dog re return to the while House after weekend at Camp David i the presidential Retreat the president is Bitting Congress with both barrels this week his slate of the Union address tuesday and us 1987budget on wednesday. Defense spending of $282 billion Aspin contended tha Weinberger is seeking defense budget authority of some $320  Aspin s analysis Large cuts will now be made in defense this  of whether the automatic reduction provisions of Gramm Rudman Are triggered largely because of political factors inside  the Gramm Rudman formula automatic across the Board reductions go into effect unless con Gress either raises taxes or strikes a bargain with the president to make other spending reductions to meet the Gramm Rudman deficit reduction goal. Under the automatic reduction plan half of the cuts come from defense and half from non exempted social programs a proportion which Aspin referred to As ther 50-50cut." Aspin contends that even if attempts Are made inthe absence of new taxes to adopt a congressional budget Resolution reducing spending in any other Way than by taking 50 percent of the cuts from defense and 50 percent from All other programs it will be in some one s interest to make sure that budget Resolution never takes  we try and pass the kind of Resolution which Cap wants to do which leans to defense and saves de sense docs anything that s less than a 50 percent Cut in defense. Well liberals in the Congress Are going to want to filibuster raise hell whatever you have to do to make sure the budget Resolution never happens Aspin  the other hand if we try to Cut defense by More than 50 percent then the conservatives of the world would raise hell filibuster and do whatever to make sure that the budget Resolution never  said the Only Chance a budget Resolution has of passing is if it does the same split As the Gramm Rud Man sequestration. Because once you move off of that in any direction somebody s going to be  said the Only Good news in that for the Pentagon is that if reductions Are made by Congress instead of by Gramm Rudman the ability exists to pick and choose among defense programs of higher or lower  the Gramm Rudman cuts take effect each item in the budget is sliced equally with no consideration Given to its relative defense importance janitorial services being Given equal weight with strategic  has said he intends to hold Congress to its Promise last year to provide after inflation increases of 3v see Aspin on Page 28 Rogers proposes new missiles for Europe Casteau. Belgium a Gen. Ber Nard w. Rogers the top nato commander in Europe said Friday he has propose that new Short Range nuclear missiles be installed in Western Europe after 1988. Ties for governments seeking to avoid re kindling the nuclear protest  he said a confidential study by Mili tary authorities of the North Atlantic treaty organization bad concluded in March 1985 that the new weapons would be needed to replace outdated ones. He would not say How Many new missile would be needed. Rogers said the new weapons would enable nato to make a further Cut in the total number of nuclear warheads in Europe below the 4,600 figure that he said will be achieved on schedule by 1988. As recently As 1979. Nato had 7,000 nuclear warheads. He said significant further reduction were possible after 1988, but he would give no figures. The new Short Range missiles would allow a net decrease in nuclear War Heads because they would be More efficient than the systems they would replace he said. Speaking in his office at supreme head quarters Allied Powers Europe Rogers said the new nuclear missiles would be part of broader program designed to upgrade see missiles on Page 28 Board named to investigate shuttle tragedy Washington a president Reagan took the investigation of the space shuttle challenger explosion away from Nasa monday and entrusted it to an inde pendent Board with no a to grind. In an executive order Reagan directed the panel beaded by former Secretary of state William p. Rogers and one time astronaut Neil Armstrong to report its find Ings within 120 Days. By making the commission Independent of Nasa the administration appeared to be trying to avoid criticism that the investigation of the Accident that claimed the lives of All seven Crew members was one sided or biased. Related stories on pages 7,12,28. Yet half of the 12 commission Mem Bers named by Reagan on monday have current or past ties to Nasa or the space program. Presidential spokesman Larry Speakes addressing reporters in the White House briefing room said think what Type of questions you would have been asking in this room had Nasa appointed the per manent and Only  in a Brief announcement at the Whitehouse Reagan said Rogers and Arm Strong would serve As chairman and Vic chairman of the panel which will Haye at least 10 other members including scientists government officials technical experts and private , appearing with Rogers Arm Strong and Nasa chief William Graham noted it s been almost a week since our nation and family stood together As we watched challenger slip beyond our grasp. As we move away from that see shuttle on Page 28