CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE October 14, 1978

ment were fully justified. Accordingly, I am compelled to withhold my approval from this

bill.

JIMMY CARTER,

THE WHITE HOUSE, November 8, 1978.

MEMORANDUM OF DISAPPROVAL

I am withholding my approval from S. 2416,

a bill that would extend a series of programs

authorizing special Federal support for the

training of nurses.

Although I support a number of its provisions, this bill would continue several Federal nurse training programs whose objectives have been accomplished and for which

there is no longer a need. Moreover, the funding authorizations are excessive and unac- ceptable If we are to reduce the budget deficit

to help fight inflation.

For the past 22 years, the Federal Govern- ment has provided substantial financial support for nursing education. From 1956

through 1977, almost $1.4 billion was awarded for student traineeships, loans, and

scholarships; for construction and basic support for nursing education programs; and for

projects to improve nursing education and

recruitment.

With the help of this support, the number

of active nurses has more than doubled since

1957 to over 1,000,000 in 1978. Ten years ago,

in 1968, there were 300 active nurses per

100,000 population in the United States. By

the beginning of 1977, this ratio had risen to

395 per 100,000 population.

The outlook is also good for adequate, sus- tained growth in the supply of nurses. Thereis, therefore, no reason for the government to provide special support to increase the

total supply of professional nurses.

This year the Administration proposed to extend only the authorities for special proj- ects in nursing education and for nurse practitioner training programs, in order to focus

Federal nurse training support on areas of

greatest national need. This proposal was

based on the concept that future Federal as- sistance should be limited to geographic and

specialty areas that need nurses most. S. 2416 would authorize more than $400

million for fiscal years 1979 and 1980, mostly

for continued Federal funding of a number

of unnecessary special nurse training programs, at a potential cost to the taxpayer far

above my budget. At a time of urgent need

for budget restraint, we cannot tolerate

spending for any but truly essential

purposes.

I must point out that nursing training is

primarily undergraduate education, and

nursing students are eligible for the assistance made available by the government to all students, based on need. I recently signed

into law the Middle Income Student Assist- ance Act, which will significantly expand our basic grant and student loan guarantee programs. Nursing students are also eligible for

National Health Service Corps scholarships.

Disapproval of this bill will not cause an abrupt termination of funding of the nurse training programs, since funds are available

for fiscal year 1979 under the continuing

resolution.

If the Nation is to meet its health care needs at reasonable cost, Federal nursing and

other health professions programs must make

the greatest contribution to adequate health

care at the most reasonable cost. This bill

does not meet that test.

The Administration is now conducting a major review of its support for all health

professions training, including nursing. Legislative proposals in this area will be made to

the 96th Congress. These proposals will recognize the key role of nurses in our society

and the need for nurses to play an even

greater role in the efficient delivery of health

care services.

JIMMY CARTER.

THE WHITE HOUSE, November 10, 1978.

PROGRESS ON CYPRUS NEGOTIATIONS-MESSAGE FROM THE

PRESIDENT-PM 1

The VICE PRESIDENT laid before

the Senate the following message from

the President of the United States,

which was referred to the Committee on

Foreign Relations:

To the Congress o1 the United States:

In accordance with. the provisions of

Public Law 95-384, I am reporting on

progress made toward the conclusion of

a negotiated solution to the Cyprus problem.

While direct negotiations between the

two Cypriot communities under the aus- pices of the United Nations Secretary

General have not yet resumed, there is

a growing awareness, especially among the parties directly concerned, that the

time is now ripe for determined action

designed to break the Cyprus deadlock.

Moreover, it is increasingly accepted that a just and lasting settlement can come

only through intensive, sustained faceto-face negotiations. Public statements,

general resolutions and intermittent

talks are not adequate to solve the Cyprus problem. For this reason our recent

efforts have concentrated on encouraging

the two Cypriot parties to work with the

Secretary General of the United Nations

on an early reconvening of intercommunal talks. Repeal of the Turkish arms

embargo has created fresh opportunities

for progress on the Cyprus issue.

Secretary of State Vance spoke of this

policy before the United Nations General

Assembly on September 29, "We would

welcome and actively support," he said,

"a renewed effort by Secretary General

Waldheim to help the parties reach

agreement on a sovereign, bicommunal,

nonaligned federal Republic of Cyprus."

To back up this call, Administration officials have been conferring with high- level representatives of both Cypriot communities, with the Turkish, Greek

and other friendly governments, and

also with principal officers of the United

Nations Secretariat. I had a useful discussion of the Cyprus issue with President Kyprianou on October 6, and Secretary Vance met with President Ky- prianou, Turkish Cypriot leader Denktash, and the Foreign Ministers of

Greece and Turkey on the margin of the

United Nations General Assembly. These contacts and many others have

given us a fairly clear picture of the practical possibilities for forward movement

and of the aims and objectives of the two sides. Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots have underscored to us their desire

to see a resumption of negotiations, although they still differ on how to do it.

In our talks with the Cypriot parties and with United Nations officials, we have gone into some detail on how to

bridge the gap between the parties, so as to arrive at a mutually acceptable basis

for negotiations. We cannot yet tell

whether the efforts of our government,

Secretary General Waldheim, and other

friendly governments will bear fruit, but we are doing our best to encourage regular intercommunal negotiations early in

the new year.

After the arms embargo repeal, the

Government of Turkey restated its desire

to help negotiate a rapid resolution of

the Cyprus problem. Moreover, in his

speech to the United Nations General

Assembly on October 3, Turkish Foreign

Minister Okcun reconfirmed his Government's commitment to withdrawing all

of its armed forces from Cyprus, except

those mutually agreed upon by the parties concerned, in connection with a final

settlement. We believe that Turkey will

do its best to help the Secretary General

bring about a resumption of the intercommunal negotiations.

The annual General Assembly debate on the Cyprus question took place in the

United Nations during the week of November 6. The United States Representative stated that "enhancing the prospects for sustained and productive

negotiations should be our foremost objective," and that, "All parties interested

in promoting a settlement on Cyprus

should now concentrate their efforts on

encouraging these talks and fostering

an atmosphere that will contribute to

their success." The United States abstained on the resolution adopted by the

General Assembly because it contained

elements which were clearly not conducive to a resumption of negotiations.

As this report was being prepared the

Cyprus question was also being considered within the Security Council.

JIMMY CARTER.

THE WHITE HousE, November 30, 1978.

SPECIAL MESSAGE OF RESCISSIONS

AND DEFERRALS-MESSAGE FROM

THE PRESIDENT-PM 2

The Vice President laid before the Senate the following message from the President of the United States, which referred

to the Committee on Appropriations, the

Committee on the Budget, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee

on Commerce, Science, the Committee on

Armed Services, and the Committee on

the Judiciary, jointly, pursuant to order

of January 30, 1975:

To the Congress of the United States:

In accordance with the Impoundment

Control Act of 1974, I herewith propose

rescission of $75,000 in unneeded funds

appropriated to the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.

In addition, I am reporting four new deferrals of budget authority totaling

$889 million and two revisions to previously transmitted deferrals increasing

the amount deferred by $21.4 million in

budget authority. These Items involve

the military assistance program and programs in the Departments of Commerce,

Defense, Justice; and State.

38088