White House Diaries

Monday, June 1, 1981

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Quite a day! Met with Sen. Simpson re immigration. He had a great collection of fraudulent S.S. cards, drivers licenses, union cards etc.—Oh also phony food stamps. How can we curb this kind of counterfeiting? Then it was Sen. Ted Kennedy’s turn. He’s interested in gun control but not as rabid about it as I thought. Next the Dem. House & Sen. leadership re the tax bill. They are pretty divided about what they want but they are all bothered by our 3 yr. across the board inc. tax cut proposal. I told them from 10% each yr. beginning as of last Jan. I would move to 5–10 & 10 to start Oct. 1st. Still no deal. Later in the day, Rostenkowski (Chrmn. Ways & Means) sent word he could go 10% for each of 2 yrs. I haven’t made up my mind but told Don Regan to cost it out & see where it left us.

Later an N.S.C. meeting.

I okayed reversing the Carter policy against selling arms to our friends. Venezuela wants to buy F16 fighter planes. Also said yes to a plan to enlist Canada & Mex. in aiding Central America & the Caribbean nations. Ec. help, social reform & help in resisting revolutions exported from Cuba. Moving to the middle east. I approved naval maneuvers in Mediterranean waters that Khadafi of Libya has declared are his territorial waters. I’m not being foolhardy but he’s a madman. He has been harassing our planes out over international waters & it’s time to show the other nations there Egypt, Morocco, et al that there is different management here. Nancy went to Wolf Trap—Bob Hope performing—a big benefit opening. Security wouldn’t OK it for me. She came home with evidently “a bug” that’s been going around—a kind of 1 day intestinal disorder. She was up most of the night & thoroughly miserable. That rules her out for visiting Jim Brady tomorrow.